Fucoidan-assisted agglomerated guar gum: physical, tribo-rheological, and anti-inflammatory properties

Fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide, has great potential to be used as a bioactive binder in the wet agglomeration process of food polymers due to its viscous nature and intrinsic anti-inflammatory activity. This study aimed to investigate the influence of a fluidized-bed wet agglomeration process using fucoidan as a binder on the physical, tribo-rheological, and anti-inflammatory characteristics of guar gum (GG). All agglomerated powders exhibited larger and more porous structures than the non-agglomerated sample, resulting in reduced particle cohesion and improved powder flowability. Their apparent viscosity and viscoelastic moduli were also higher, due to changes in water-mediated intermolecular interactions between the polymers. However, as the binder concentration increased, the rheological properties decreased, likely attributable to the reduced proportion of GG in the agglomerates. Although no significant difference in the friction coefficient was observed between the non-agglomerated and agglomerated GG with low fucoidan concentrations (≤ 4%), the agglomerated sample with 6% fucoidan exhibited superior lubrication properties. In addition to these physical and tribo-rheological improvements, the presence of fucoidan also conferred significant anti-inflammatory activity due to its intrinsic anti-inflammatory effect. Notably, in contrast to the non-agglomerated GG, all agglomerated samples significantly (p < 0.05) suppressed the production of TNF-α in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. These findings highlight the potential of fucoidan as a binder in wet agglomeration for the development of functional food powders with improved flowability, superior tribo-rheological performance, and enhanced bioactivity.