Carboxymethylcellulose-induced changes in rheological properties and microstructure of wheat gluten proteins under different pH conditions

Absract The interaction between gluten and hydrocolloid additive, as well as the pH condition during dough formation is very important in making flour products. In this study, the influence of different pH conditions on the interactions between gluten proteins (including glutenin and gliadin) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), and on the rheological and microstructure changes of gluten proteins was investigated. The dynamic frequency sweep indicated CMC-gluten displayed more solid-like behavior under alkaline conditions than that under acidic conditions. The creep-recovery experiment suggested acidic conditions were not conducive to maintain the elasticity of CMC-gluten. Microstructural changes of various glutens with CMC showed that a higher ratio of beta-sheets was observed in the CMC-gluten and CMC-glutenin under alkaline conditions. Total free sulfhydryl contents and changes in tryptophan microenvironment showed glutenin played a key role in the G polymerization with the addition of CMC. Lower surface hydrophobicity of CMC-gluten was displayed under acidic conditions. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that neutral and alkaline conditions were conducive to the network structure formation of CMC-gluten and CMC-glutenin. Practical Application This study investigated the interaction of CMC with gluten, gluten, and gliadin under different pH conditions, providing a basis for expanding dough quality improvement, and extending the in-depth application of CMC in the food industry.