Complex Rheological Properties of a Water-Soluble Extract from the Fronds of the Black Tree Fern, Cyathea medullaris Kelvin K. T. Goh,* ,† Lara Matia-Merino, † Christopher E. Hall, † Paul J. Moughan, ‡ and Harjinder Singh ‡ Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health, and Riddet Centre, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North, New Zealand Received May 15, 2007; Revised Manuscript Received August 17, 2007 A water-soluble extract was obtained from the fronds of a New Zealand native black tree fern (Cyathea medullaris or Mamaku in Ma jori). The extract exhibited complex rheological behavior. Newtonian, shear-thinning, shear- thickening, thixotropic, antithixotropic, and viscoelastic behaviors were observed depending on polymer concentration, shear rate, and shear history. The extract also displayed rod-climbing and self-siphoning properties typical of viscoelastic fluids. Such complex rheological properties have been reported in synthetic or chemically modified polymers but are less frequent in unmodified biopolymers. Although Mamaku extract obtained from the pith of the fern has been traditionally used by the Ma jori in New Zealand for treating wounds and diarrhea among other ailments, this material has never been characterized before. This study reports on the chemical composition of the extract and on its viscoelastic properties through rotational and oscillatory rheological measurements. Explanations of the mechanism behind the rheological properties were based on transient network models for associating polymers. 1. Introduction The black tree fern (Cyathea medullaris), known as “Ma- maku” in Ma jori, is the tallest tree fern found throughout the South Pacific. Traditionally, the pith of the trunk and fronds were consumed by natives and early explorers. The cooked pith was described as soft with a very sweet taste. 1 The uncooked pith is slimy due to the presence of a brownish-red mucus-like fluid. The mucus-like material was also used traditionally for various medicinal purposes such as treating wounds and boils, 2 as a vermifuge, and as a remedy for diarrhoea. 2 The functions of mucus-like sap found in the trunk and fronds of Mamaku are not well-established. To our current knowledge, this mucus- like material has not been characterized. In this first paper, we report on the isolation and unusual rheological properties of the water-soluble extract. Rheological measurements based on steady shear, oscillatory shear, and step strain experiments have been used to characterize the viscous and elastic properties of fluids. The physical manifestation of the elastic component in viscoelastic fluid behavior is commonly demonstrated by “the tubeless siphon”, “die swell”, or “rod-climbing” effects. It is well-established that these effects are the result of the development of normal stresses within the fluid that overcome centrifugal or gravitational forces. 3 The elasticity in polymer solutions has been related to a shear-thickening behavior that corresponds well to the first normal stress coefficient under shear. 4 Under flow, shear-thickening behaviors are rare in many biopolymer solutions. However, they are known to occur in complex fluids such as dense suspension, 5 wormlike micelles, and associating polymer solutions. 6,7 Associating polymers are polymers that contain functional groups along polymer chains that are capable of interacting with each other in a selective solvent. 8 Reversible cross-links which can be formed at the junctions are usually due to noncovalent interactions such as hydrophobic and hydrogen bonds. Disruption and reformation of molecular networks at the junctions can occur due to conditions such as an increase in temperature and/or application of stresses. Such physical networks are defined as transient networks. 9 A common example of associating polymers is the telechelic polymers (polymer molecules carrying associative end groups). The rheological properties of these polymers often exhibit Newtonian behavior at low shear rates, shear-thickening behavior at intermediate shear rates, and then shear-thinning at higher shear rates. 4 Shear-thickening behavior in associating polymer solutions has been a subject of research since the 1950s. 8 Other systems that reported shear-thickening include inter- polyelectrolyte systems, 10 shear-induced formation of intermo- lecular aggregates in spider silk dope, 11 soluble starch solu- tions, 12,13 and in a low-methoxy pectin solution. 14 Shear- thickening behavior seems to be identical for many systems from a rheological viewpoint. However, the molecular origin of the complex formation may differ (e.g., electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding, cross-linking by crystalline segments, and coordination with metallic ions, among others), depending on each system. 15 In this paper, we report on the shear-thickening behavior of the solutions prepared from a freeze-dried crude water-soluble extract of the fronds of Mamaku. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Isolation of Mamaku Extract. The fronds of the tree fern were obtained from the Massey University campus in Palmerston North, New Zealand during the month of January 2006. The leaves on the fronds were removed, and the fronds were washed and cut into slices of approximately 5 mm thick using a slicer (Dito-Sama, Aubusson, France). Warm water (∼50 °C) was added to the sliced fronds in * Corresponding author. E-mail: K.T.Goh@massey.ac.nz. Tel.: 64-6- 3504366, ext 7195. Fax: 64-6-3505657. † Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health. ‡ Riddet Centre. 3414 Biomacromolecules 2007, 8, 3414-3421 10.1021/bm7005328 CCC: $37.00 © 2007 American Chemical Society Published on Web 10/16/2007