Flaxseed mucilage is composed of water soluble heteropolysaccharides of high molecular weight representing about 3 to 9% of the total seed. In the present study mucilages were extracted from six Indian flaxseed cultivars and their chemical, functional, microstructural and rheological properties were investigated. The extracted mucilages differed significantly (P < 0.05) in their yield (5.56-6.54%), ash (4.80-7.23%), protein (7.68-12.33%), pentose (0.48-0.80 mg/ml) and total sugar (1.58-3.06 mg/ml) contents. Copper (18.87-148.08 mg/kg) and zinc (15.43-53.43 mg/kg) were found to be the most abundant minerals in mucilages. "LC-2023" cv. mucilage exhibited lower values for lead, chromium and cadmium. The mucilage solutions exhibited high foaming (>40%) and solubility (64.5-69.15% at 80 °C) characteristics. Rheological data revealed shear rate dependent behaviour of aqueous mucilage solutions irrespective of cultivar type and concentration used. Frequency sweep tests demonstrated that at high frequency range investigated, storage modulus was higher than loss modulus thereby suggesting viscoelastic fluid behaviour of flaxseed mucilage. All mucilages exhibited endothermic as well exothermic transitions with high decomposition onset temperatures. Mucilage is of special research interest owing to its desirable functional properties, so the outcomes of the present study could be used to identify cultivars for producing mucilages for a desired end use.
Keywords: Flaxseed mucilage; Heteropolysaccharide; Rheological.
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