The study was planned to evaluate the effect of non-commercial gums as compared to commercial gums. The concentration dependent effect of two commercial (arabic, xanthan) and four non-commercial (cress seed, fenugreek, flaxseed, okra) polysaccharide gums on the pasting, rheological, textural and thermal properties of chickpea were investigated by rapid visco analyzer (RVA), hybrid rheometer, texture analyzer and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Blends were prepared by replacing chickpea starch at 0.5% and 2.0% with gums, whereas native chickpea starch was used as a control. RVA data showed that peak and final viscosities were dramatically increased with xanthan contrary to reduction with gum arabic, flaxseed and okra gums. Hybrid rheometer displayed that storage and loss moduli were increased as a function of angular frequency and dominance of elastic properties over viscous ones. Xanthan blend was less temperature dependent due to dramatic decrease in activation energy value as compared to control while other gums were more temperature dependent. The magnitude of this effect was reliant on the type and concentration of gum. After storage for 21 days at −20 °C, total syneresis was reduced with the incorporation of xanthan and cress seed and also with high levels of gum arabic, flaxseed and fenugreek gums. The gel hardness was increased after overnight storage at ambient temperature (23 °C) with fenugreek while reduction in hardness was observed with xanthan, flaxseed and okra gums. The presence of gums resulted in significantly higher onset and peak temperatures determined through differential scanning calorimetry.

Bioactive compounds are responsible for biological activities in honey. The botanical and regional sources of honey contribute to the variable concentration of bioactive compounds. This paper reports the analysis of bioactive compounds such as phenolic compounds, vitamin C, total phenolic contents (TPC), radical scavenging activity (RSA), and sugars of five honey samples (Talh, Athel, Sidr, Spring flower, and Langnese) from the ingenious Hail region (Saudi Arabia) using HPLC-RID and DAD. Talh has the highest TPC level of 26.9 mg GAE/100 g, whereas Spring flower has the lowest level of 8.2 mg GAE/100 g. Quercetin levels in all samples ranged from 0.28 to 2.68 mg GAE/100 g. Gallic acid, a phenolic compound, was found in three samples of honey at concentrations ranging from 0.81–1.08 mg/100 g. DPPH radical scavenging activity (RSA) of Talh and Sidr honey sample are found to be high as compared to other samples. The Sidr honey sample had the highest vitamin C content, 2.59 mg/100 g. Fructose and glucose sugar concentrations ranged from 28.35–37.81 g/100 g and 20.21–32.28 g/100 g, respectively, with a higher fructose ratio. Sucrose was not found in any of the five samples. These findings point to the high quality of honey produced in Saudi Arabia’s ingenious Hail province, and therefore may contribute in therapeutic use of these types of honey, such as in complementary and alternative medicine.

Incorporation of hydrocolloid gums in native starches help to improve their pasting, thermal, rheological and textural properties along with improvement in the stability of starch gels. The use of Cordia gum is not widely studied as a starch modifier and this fact could make this study more interesting and unique. This study investigated the effects of the non-conventional hydrocolloid gum (Cordia gum) on corn starch properties. Corn starch and gum Cordia (GC) blends were prepared at different replacement levels (0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12%). The effect of GC levels on pasting, thermal, rheological, and textural properties were evaluated using rapid viscoanalyzer, differential scanning colorimeter, rheometer, and texture analyzer. The presence of GC significantly increased starch gelatinization temperatures, enthalpies, peak viscosities, final viscosities, and setback viscosities. GC improved freeze thaw stability in starch. The shear rate (1/s) versus shear stress (σ) data of all samples fitted well to the simple power law model (R² = 0.97–0.99). The control had the lowest flow behavior index (n; 0.17), which increased to (0.36–0.56) with increasing GC levels. The consistency index (K) of the starch-gum blends increased with increasing GC levels. The dominance of elastic properties over viscous properties was demonstrated by G′ > G″. The magnitudes of G′ and G″ increased with increasing GC concentration. The outcomes could help to use this modification method as an alternative to chemical and enzymatic modification with respect to cost, safety, less time consumption and less requirement of process modifications.

The effectiveness of hydrocolloids (2% maximum in various combinations) from various sources, including maltodextrins (MD) with polymerization degree (DP) 18 and ziziphus gum (ZG), on the dough properties and quality of panned bread, as well as the possibility of using them to delay the bread staling process, have been investigated after 24, 72, and 96 h of storage. By evaluating the pasting capabilities of wheat flour slurry, dough properties, and the final product, the effects of the ziziphus gum (ZG) and maltodextrins (MD) were ascertained. A TA-TXT texture analyzer, a texture profile analysis test, and Micro-doughLab were used to evaluate the dough mixing properties. Additionally, a hedonic sensory evaluation of the overall acceptance of the bread, as well as its texture, aroma, taste, and color, was done. It is clear that MD had a more distinct impact than ZG on the way dough was mixed, the texture of the gel, and the finished product. The combination of MD and ZG significantly altered the bread’s physical characteristics and its aging over time. The decreased peak viscosity and noticeably smaller setback of wheat flour gels, which corresponded to lower gel hardness, serve as evidence of reduced amylose retrogradation. At 2%, MD outperformed ZG in terms of increasing water absorption, dough stability, and bread loaf volume. With the exception of the blend that included three times as much MD as ZG, all mixes, including the control, exhibited an increase in bread firmness as a function of time after storage. Overall, the panelists liked (score of 5 and above) the bread made with mixes that had either MD or ZG, or a combination of both.

The functional characteristics of starch can be altered by shear force, which makes the impact on its microstructure of great importance to the food industry. This study investigated the effects of freeze-drying on the gel texture, pasting capabilities, and swelling power of starches made from sweet potatoes (SP), chickpeas (CP), and wheat (WS) combined with Cordia (CG) and Ziziphus gum (ZG). The samples were annealed in water without shearing and in a rapid visco-analyzer (RVA) for 30 min at 60 °C while being spun at 690 rpm. Both native and freeze-dried samples were mixed with 1% or 3% ZG and CG. After annealing, the starches were examined using a texture analyzer and RVA. The results showed that freeze-drying had a substantial (p > 0.05) impact on the starch granule, in addition to the effect of annealing. The peak viscosity of freeze-dried native CP and SP starches increased, but the peak viscosity of freeze-dried wheat starch decreased. The setbacks for CP and WS increased, whereas the setbacks for SP varied slightly. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that annealing in an RVA exhibited a substantially lower peak viscosity than annealing in a water bath; the RVA’s shearing effect may have been the cause of this difference. Cordia gum fared better than ZG in terms of peak viscosity, although ZG significantly reduced setback in comparison to CG. Among the various blends, the native WB sample had the lowest hardness (100 ± 4.9 g), while the freeze-dried WB SP sample had the greatest (175.5 ± 4.8 g). Shearing of starches broke up the granules into smaller pieces, which made them gel at lower temperatures. This could be a good thing when they are needed for food uses that require little cooking.

Acacia (AG) and cactus gums (CG) were mixed into wheat flour at the 3% and 6% levels. The flour blends were tested for their pasting, dough development, and extensibility behaviors. The blends were used to make cookies, which were then evaluated for their physical, textural, and sensory qualities. Both types of gum reduced the setback viscosities, water absorption, and farinograph quality numbers while increasing the water retention capacity, dough development time, and extensibility. The thickness and diameter of the cookies decreased in the presence of the cactus gum, while the acacia gum resulted in greater thickness and diameter. The addition of more gums increased the hardness of the cookies while decreasing their fracturability. All the cookie types were acceptable for all the sensory attributes studied. When compared to the control, the panelists preferred the color of the cookies with a higher level of gum. Overall, the presence of gums in the formulation resulted in the development of cookies with improved technological and sensory attributes. Likewise, the cookies with higher levels of gum can deliver 6% more soluble fiber without compromising their overall acceptability.