Effects of transglutminase on the quality of white salted noodles made from Korean wheat cultivars

The objectives of this study was to investigate the influences of increasing levels of transglutaminase (TG) on dough rheological properties and the characteristics of white salted noodles regarding two Korean wheat cultivars, cvs. Keumkang and Younbaek, and commercial wheat flour for noodle making (Com), and to evaluate quality of white salted noodles from 13 Korean wheat flours with the 0.4% TG treatment. In Keumkang, Younbaek and Com, wet gluten, mixing time and mixing tolerance increased as the addition of TG increased from 0.2 to 0.6%, compared to those of wheat flours with no TG treatment. No significant differences in SDS-sedimentation volume and water absorption for the mixograph of flours was found in the addition of TG. Lightness of the noodle dough sheet increased as the addition of TG increased, although water absorption, thickness of the noodle dough sheet and cooking loss did not change with increased TG treatments. White salted noodles with 0.4% of TG treatment showed greater elasticity and harder texture of cooked noodles than those of no TG treatment. There were no consistent differences in the texture of cooked noodles from between 0.4 and 0.6% TG treatment. In noodle characteristics with 0.4% TG treatment of 13 Korean wheat cultivars, developed after 2000, lightness of noodle dough sheet and hardness of cooked noodles with 0.4% TG treatment (81.50 and 3.80 N, respectively) were higher than that of no treatment of TG (80.83 and 3.51 N, respectively) at P < 0.05. No significant effects of TG treatment were found in other characteristics.