Influence of Time‐Dependent Dry Heat Modification on the Gum Arabic in the Presence of Nonionic Surfactant: Structural and Rheological Properties

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This study investigated the effect of time‐dependent dry heat treatment on gum Arabic (GA), an anionic polysaccharide known for its emulsifying and stabilizing properties, in the presence of Tween 80, a nonionic surfactant. Structural and rheological changes were assessed after thermal exposure at 90 °C for 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. Structural changes were analyzed using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Rheological behavior was evaluated by measuring viscosity and viscoelastic properties. XRD analysis confirmed the semicrystalline nature of GA, with broad peaks observed in the 2θ range of 10°–26° and 8°–26° across different treatment durations. FTIR evaluation exhibited shifts in functional group vibrations and decreased peak intensities at 3500–3000 cm⁻¹, and 1640–1600 cm⁻¹ after 24 and 48 h of heating revealing molecular interactions and conformational changes due to thermal exposure. Further, the rheological analysis revealed that all the treated gum samples primarily exhibited a liquid viscoelastic behaviour, with the loss modulus (G″) consistently exceeding the storage modulus (G′). These results highlight the complex interplay between thermal processing, structural transformations, and rheological behavior in GA‐Tween 80 systems. Collectively, these findings provide valuable insights for the formulation and optimization of thermally processed biopolymer‐based products in food and pharmaceutical applications.