Thermomechanical behaviors and protein polymerization in bread dough modified by bran components and transglutaminase

Abstract The effects of bran components such as cellulose, arabinoxylan (AX), and ferulic acid (FA), and transglutaminase (TG) on the thermomechanical attributes and protein polymerization of bread dough were investigated. Bran components prolonged development time and decreased dough stability, while TG increased the two attributes mainly attributed to its cross-linking ability on gluten proteins. Both AX and TG decreased the setback and hot-gel stability, probably because of the interaction with starch chains that restricted the recrystallization and amylose exudation. Cellulose and AX reduced the elastic and viscous moduli of bread dough, and AX induced more reductions than cellulose. AX fortified with FA caused more water transition from the bound state to the free state than cellulose and AX. TG enhanced the water availability to gluten and resulted in a strengthened gluten network. Briefly, AX exerted more interference with gluten development due to the chain structures and higher water binding ability. TG improved dough strength, but its function could be interfered with by bran components. The study interpreted the interactions between bran components, TG, and gluten protein in bread dough and provided an important experimental basis for the development of bran-containing products.