Rheological and kinetic study of the ultrasonic degradation of locust bean gum in aqueous saline and salt-free solutions

•The viscosity of aqueous solutions of locust bean gum can be modified via ultrasonication.•Extent and kinetics of degradation is somewhat sensitive to ionic strength.•A kinetic model can be used to predict ultrasonic degradation rates. The ultrasonic degradation of locust bean gum (LBG) in aqueous solutions has been studied at 25°C for ultrasonication times up to 120min. Although LBG is not a polyelectrolyte, the degradation extent and kinetics were found to be somewhat sensitive to the ionic conditions in solution, and this is attributed to changes in molecular conformation that can occur in different salt environments. Ultrasonic degradation was tracked by rheological measurements that lead to the determination of intrinsic viscosity for the LBG molecules. A kinetic model was also developed and successfully applied to characterize and predict the degradation results.