Effect of low-sodium salt on the physicochemical and rheological properties of wheat flour doughs and their respective gluten

Reducing sodium in cereal products has become a health trend, and low-sodium salt is considered as a promising sodium substitute; however, its technical roles in dough formation have not been well understood. Effects of lowsodium salt on the physicochemical and rheological properties of dough were investigated in the present study compared with that with NaCl and KCl. Addition of low-sodium salt significantly increased stability, development time and extensional area of dough, and reduced water absorption. Wheat gluten extractability and free SH content gradually decreased with low-sodium salt additions increased, indicating that salt affected gluten macromolecular aggregation. Zeta potential measurements indicated that salt promoted the interactions between gluten molecules. Overall, low-sodium salt effectively changed physicochemical and rheological properties of dough in a manner very similar to NaCl and KCl. Therefore, addition of low-sodium salt may be a feasible approach to alleviate high sodium in the process of dough formation.