Improvement of oat β-glucan on the quality deterioration of frozen wheat dough and steamed bread.

Investigating how cereal-derived polysaccharides mitigate the cold denaturation of dough carries substantial significance for improving the quality of cereal-based products. This study aimed to assess the effects of laboratory-prepared oat β-glucan and commercial oat β-glucan on the structural properties and quality of wheat flour, frozen dough, and the resultant steamed bread. Our data indicated that β-glucan with higher molecular weight (1.1 × 10 Da) endowed dough with superior freeze-thaw stability. Freezable water content of frozen dough with 5 % β-glucan was decreased by 15.7 % compared to control group, demonstrating the β-glucan inhibited ice crystal formation and destruction of gluten network. Moreover, steamed bread made from frozen dough containing 5 % β-glucan was softer with stronger antioxidant activities and storage stability. Those results proved that the β-glucan promoted cross-linking between gluten proteins and starch granules and could be used as food cryoprotectants to mitigate deterioration of frozen dough quality.