Moisture, rheology and structure of deacetylated konjac glucomannan-treated dough and the performance of steamed bread under frozen storage

Deacetylated konjac glucomannan (Da) is utilized to enhance the quality of wheat products. This study investigated the impact of Da1, Da2 and Da3 (with deacetylation degrees of 23.62, 59.60 and 95.53%, respectively) as well as frozen storage times on the moisture, rheological and structural characteristics of dough, as well as the quality of the resulting steamed bread. The findings indicated that Da played a significant role in improving the freezable water content, moisture distribution and rheology of the dough. Especially, in the 1.5% Da2 group, the improvement effect on dough was most significant and the gluten network structure was the most compact. Moreover, Da exerted a positive influence on the quality of the steamed bread with 1.5% Da2 showing the most significant improvements. Correlation analysis revealed a negative relationship between the dough's freezable water content and its rheological properties, bound water content and disulfide bonds. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the industrial application of Da in wheat-based products.