Curdlan-induced rheological, thermal and structural property changes of wheat dough components during heat treatment

To clarify the interactions among curdlan, starch and gluten, curdlan-induced rheological, thermal and structural properties of wheat dough during heating were investigated. When heating temperature exceeded 60 degrees C, 0.6% curdlan increased the stiffness of dough with a maximum storage and loss modulus. For starch, the increase of curdlan (0-0.9%) inhibited its gelatinization, and the peak and breakdown viscosity decreased by 28.1% and 24.5%, respectively, accentuating the dough strength. Regarding gluten, excessive curdlan (0.9%) delayed the thermal denaturation and increased the content of exposed sulfhydryl group (0.64 mmol/g for control dough vs. 0.83 mmol/g for treated dough, P < 0.05), resulting in the structural weakening of dough. Hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interaction were involved in curdlan-gluten interactions at more than 75 degrees C. Some random coils of gluten were transformed into a-helix structure, which reduced the flexibility of the polypeptide chains. The microstructure confirmed the results of rheological properties that the dough containing 0.6% curdlan was more stable and denser (>= 75 degrees C). In summary, during heating (>60 degrees C), the dough containing 0.6% curdlan was the most desirable with respect to viscoelasticity and strength, suggesting that it is possible to use curdlan to improve the processing characteristics of wheat dough.

Automated summary

This study investigated the interactions among curdlan, starch, and gluten during the heating process. The results showed that 0.6% curdlan had the most desirable effect on the viscoelasticity and strength of the dough, suggesting its potential in improving the processing characteristics of wheat dough.