Rheological properties of Lepidium sativum seed extract as a function of concentration, temperature and time

The seeds of Lepidium sativum (Garden Cress) were selected as a new source of hydrocolloid and its chemical composition and molecular parameters were determined. The macromolecular component of the extract had a molecular weight of 540 kDa, and was nearly as rigid as xanthan with regard to chain conformation. The main rheological features were investigated as a function of shear rate, concentration and temperature. The extract exhibited strong shear-thinning behaviour, which was even more pronounced than for xanthan. An increase in concentration or temperature led to an increase in pseudoplasticity. The Arrhenius model was applied to the temperature dependence of viscosity, and the activation energy (Ea) was found to decrease with increasing concentration. The extract solutions showed thixotropic behaviour at all the concentrations and temperatures studied, and the first-order stress decay model with a non-zero equilibrium stress fairly described the time-dependent behaviour. The rheological characteristics found indicated a potential application of the extract as a novel thickener.