Rheological and Microstructural Properties of Acidified Milk Drink Stabilized with Butternut Squash Pulp Hydrocolloids (BSPHs)

Abstract

In this study, hydrocolloids from butternut squash pulp (BSPH) have been employed as stabilizers for the development of acidified milk drinks to evaluate their physicochemical, rheological, and microstructural properties. BSPH was obtained in the alkaline medium (yield of 630 mg of hydrocolloids/100 g of pulp), presenting 79.97 ± 0.240% carbohydrate and non-Newtonian-type shear thinning. Four acidified milk drinks (AMDs) were obtained with 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00% BSPHs and a control sample without BSPHs. The addition of BSPHs did not alter the proximal composition of AMDs with similar proximal values; also, the samples present typical behavior of non-Newtonian-fluid-type shear thinning adjusted to the Carreau-Yasuda model. Storage (G′) and loss (G″) moduli values were slightly dependent on the frequency in most of the studied systems. Then, the addition of BSPHs retained their uniform internal structure and contributed to the stabilization of the products.