Viscoelastic properties of oat β-glucan-rich aqueous dispersions

► The linear and non-linear rheological properties for suspensions of biopolymer C-trim were systematically studied. ► Both linear and non-linear viscoelastic behaviours of C-trim suspensions were dependent on the β-glucan concentration. ► C-trim can have applications in many food products to manage the rheology/texture of them by using different C-trim lines. ► In addition, high β-glucan content C-trim95 may have potential to be used as cosmetic gels or drug delivery carriers. C-trim is a healthy food product containing soluble dietary fibre β-glucan. The dispersion of C-trim in water is a hydrocolloid biopolymer. The linear and non-linear rheological properties of dispersions of C-trim biopolymers were investigated. The linear viscoelastic behaviours for C-trim dispersions were dependent on the β-glucan that C-trim contained. The C-trim20 and C-trim30, which have about 20% and 30% β-glucan, respectively, exhibited more fluid-like behaviours. The C-trim50 and C-trim95, which contain about 50% and 95% β-glucan, respectively, showed solid viscoelastic properties. The power law model fitting, as well as spectra, for the linear dynamic frequency sweep and stress relaxation of C-trim dispersions, suggested that the C-trim dispersions were composed of physical entanglement networks instead of chemical cross ones. The non-linear steady shearing studies for C-trim dispersions indicated that all four of the C-trim dispersions exhibited shear-thinning behaviours, which could be best described by the power law model.