Effect of High-Pressure Processing on Rheological, Textural, and Structural Properties of Chickpea Gels

Pressure-induced gelatinization of chickpea flour (CF) was studied in combination with subsequent
temperature-induced gelatinization. CF slurries (with 1:5 flour-to-water ratio) and CF in powder form
were treated with high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), temperature (T), and treatment time (t) at three
levels (200, 400, 600 MPa; 10, 25, 50°C; 5, 15, 25 min). In order to investigate the effect of storage
(S), half of the HHP-treated CF slurries were immediately analyzed for changes in oscillatory
rheological properties under isothermal heating at 75°C for 15 min followed by cooling to 25°C. The
other half of the HHP-treated CF slurries was refrigerated (at 4°C) for one week and subsequently
analyzed for changes in oscillatory properties under the same heating conditions as the unrefrigerated
samples. HHP-treated CF in powder form was analyzed for changes in textural properties of heatinduced
CF gels under isothermal heating at 90°C for 5 min and subsequent cooling to 25°C.
Structural changes during gelatinization were investigated using microscopy. Pressure had a more
significant effect on rheological and textural properties, followed by T and treatment t (in that order).
Gel aging in HHP-treated CF slurries during storage was supported by rheological measurements.