Thermal treatment of dry zein to improve rheological properties in gluten-free dough

Zein is a gluten-free storage protein from corn that provides extensibility to starch-based doughs. However, zein does not confer strong elastic behavior, fundamental feature produce high quality bread. Previous research showed extrusion above 160 °C can improve dough viscoelasticity through the generation of molecular weight fraction. To determine whether thermal treatments alone could similarly function in doughs, dry was heated vacuum oven at temperatures 160–200 °C. Gel electrophoresis treated samples treatment promoted development higher fractions, which were resistant dissolution reducing conditions, presence surfactant, and urea. Infrared spectroscopy also revealed increased β-sheet content decreased subsequent rearrangement following hydration. hydrated with equal parts water displayed elasticity when thermally 160–190 Doughs prepared rice starch exhibited improved strain-hardening behavior extensional strain compared doughs unheated zein; no improvements observed for temperature treatments. Electron microscopy formation discrete bodies among temperatures, unlike fibrous strands lower treatment. Controlling heat-induced cross-linking structural enhances its