Molecular interactions and rheological characterization of binary biopolymer mixtures

Kamel Berkache; Ismail Daoud; Mohamed Deghmoum; Jean François Ganghoffer

doi:10.1140/epje/s10189-025-00535-x

2024 Impact factor 2.2

Soft Matter and Biological Physics

Eur. Phys. J. E (2025) 48: 77
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/s10189-025-00535-x

Research - Flowing Matter

Molecular interactions and rheological characterization of binary biopolymer mixtures

Kamel Berkache¹^,2^a, Ismail Daoud³, Mohamed Deghmoum⁴ and Jean François Ganghoffer⁵

¹ Department of Process Engineering, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Technologies Avancées, Place des Martyres, 16001, Bab-Eloued, Algiers, Algeria
² Department of Energetic and Fluid Mechanics, USTHB, El-Alia, 16111, Bab-Ezzouar, Algiers, Algeria
³ Laboratory of Science and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Materials Science and Process Engineering, USTHB, El-Alia, 16111, Bab-Ezzouar, Algiers, Algeria
⁴ Department, Central Direction of Research and Development DC R&D, SONATRACH, Batiment 28, Cité 1406 Logts, 35000, Boumerdes, Algeria
⁵ LEM3-CNRS-Arts et Métiers Paris Tech, Lorraine University, Street, 7 Rue Felix Savart, 57070, Metz, France

^a kamel.berkache@ensta.edu.dz

Received: 28 July 2025
Accepted: 19 November 2025
Published online: 17 December 2025

Abstract

Our study provides predictive tools for formulating agri-food products with controlled rheological properties containing mixtures. We investigated the rheological properties of binary biopolymer mixtures composed of xanthan gum (XG) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), with a focus on their synergistic interactions and applications in dysphagia management. Through steady and dynamic rheological tests, we characterized the flow behavior, viscoelastic properties, and thermal stability of XG/CMC blends at varying ratios (100/0 to 0/100). Principal outcomes reveal that XG-rich blends ( $\geq 70 %$ $\ge 70\%$ XG) exhibit pronounced elastic behavior ( $G^{'} > G^{''}$ $\mathrm {G' > G''}$ ), high yield stress, and strong shear-thinning properties, making them suitable for texture-modified foods requiring cohesive bolus formation. In particular, the apparent viscosity at $\dot{γ} = 50 s^{- 1}$ $\dot{\gamma } = 50~\mathrm {s^{-1}}$ —a critical shear rate for swallowing—was found to be $\sim 350 mPa \cdot s$ $\sim 350~\mathrm {mPa\cdot s}$ for pure XG ( $1 wt %$ $1~\textrm{wt}\%$ ), classifying it as “honey-like” according to dysphagia standards. Blends with $\geq 70 %$ $\ge \,70\%$ of XG maintained viscosities in the nectar-like to honey-like range (51– $1750 mPa \cdot s$ $1750~\mathrm {mPa\cdot s}$ ), while CMC-rich blends ( $\geq 60 %$ $\mathrm {\ge 60\%}$ CMC) fell below $50 mPa \cdot s$ $50~\mathrm {mPa\cdot s}$ (“thin”), rendering them unsuitable for dysphagia without reformulation. The Benhadid and Cross models effectively described the rheology of XG- and CMC-rich blends, respectively. Temperature studies highlighted XG’s enhanced thermal stability (20– $30 %$ $30\%$ viscosity loss at 20– $60^{\circ} C$ $60\,^{\circ }\textrm{C}$ ) compared to CMC ( $> 60 %$ $>\,60\%$ loss above $30^{\circ} C$ $30\,^{\circ }\textrm{C}$ ). These results provide predictive tools for designing dysphagia-friendly formulations that balance rheological performance, safety, and sensory acceptability, with XG-dominant blends offering the most promising formulations for meeting IDDSI guidelines.

Copyright comment Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Ismail Daoud, Mohamed Deghmoum, and Jean François Ganghoffer have contributed equally to this work.

© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to EDP Sciences, SIF and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

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Molecular interactions and rheological characterization of binary biopolymer mixtures

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