Enzymatically induced protein-AX networks in gf systems

The production of gluten-free doughs and breads is still a technological challenge. Despite the use of many additives, the quality of gluten-free baked goods is still lower than comparable products made from wheat, barley and rye. HPMC (hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose E 464) is often used as a binder to create more cohesion in the gluten-free dough. There is great potential for further optimization in gluten-free cereals such as corn and oats, in which structuring ingredients such as proteins and special dietary fibers, so-called arabinoxylans, can be used to stabilize doughs. By using enzymes, the proteins and arabinoxylans can be cross-linked to form a network, which stabilizes the dough. This leads to doughs with improved properties such as elasticity and gas holding capacity. In this project, a new approach will be realized by using a network of proteins and arabinoxylans for gluten-free baked goods. First, oat and maize varieties are examined for their protein and dietary fiber content, and their cross-linking quality is also assessed. The focus is on the amino acid tyrosine in the protein and the content of ferulic acid in the arabinoxylans. In addition, various enzymes are being examined to determine how well proteins and arabinoxylans are linked together. Modern analytical methods are used for this task. Selected varieties are then used to obtain enriched fractions of these structural components through grinding and extraction. These are then cross-linked in model dough systems by special enzymes, resulting in structures similar to the gluten network. These novel networks of protein and arabinoxylan have the potential to improve the dough properties of gluten-free baked goods and can therefore make a significant contribution to improving product quality.