Sage seed (Salvia macrosiphon) has reasonable amounts of gum with interesting functional properties which is comparable with some commercial food hydrocolloids such as xanthan. Steady shear flow behavior of sage seed gum (SSG) solutions was investigated in the concentration range of 0.5-2% (w/w) and temperatures of 10-50°C. Different time-independent rheological models were used to characterize the viscous behavior of SSG solutions, in a shear rate range comprised between 0.01-300 s-1. The effect of concentration on apparent viscosity was studied using three non-linear models. Temperature dependency of apparent viscosity was also evaluated using an Arrhenius model. The most interesting phenomenon was the higher zero-shear viscosity and shear-thinning characteristics of SSG solutions than some commercial gums such as xanthan, locust bean gum and guar gum in the same conditions, which are important attributes for use in sauces, salad dressings and some other food formulations.

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