Understand the contribution of mono- and divalent ions on the thermal stability of low acyl gellan gum fluid gels

Low Acyl Gellan Gum (LAGG) has a wide range of applications in the food industry due to its optical clarity and high gel strength. Owing to due to their lubrication as well as tuneable yield stress properties, LAGG fluid gels have become one of the most prominent candidate for constituting functional food for dysphagic patients. While several studies have been carried out on the mechanical properties of gellan gum gel, only limited studies have considered the roles of the presence of ions on the thermal stability of the formed fluid gels. In this study, we aim to develop understandings on how Na+ and Ca2+ ions affect the thermal stability of LAGG gels networks on nanoscale via utilising SAXS/WAXS. By taking steps to isolate the influence of the mono- and divalent ions on the formation of the LAGG double helices bundles, it would be able to map the contribution of each type of ion towards the thermal stability and reversibility of the LAGG fluid gels.