Effect of Chitosan on the Rheological Properties of Wheat Flour Dough

The effects of chitosan addition 0, 0.4%, 0.8%, 1.2% and 1.6% (w/w) on wheat flour gluten characteristics, farinographical properties, tensile properties, dynamic rheological properties, textural properties and sulfhydryl content were studied.The results showed that, the rheological properties of dough were related to the the content of chitosan. With the increaseing of chitosan, the wet gluten content, dry gluten content and gluten moisture rate increased, while the gluten index decreased.In the meantime, dough formation time, stability time, modulus elasticity and viscous modulus increased.TPA test suggested that hardness and chewiness increased significantly.The addition of 0.8% chitosan resulted the tensile properties had the best effect, and the tensile properties were deceased with a higher additive amount of chitosan. There was no significant difference in the amount of sulfhydryl content with the addition of chitosan, indicating that chitosan had no effect on the chemical environment for the oxidation of mercapto.The reasons for the change of rheological properties of dough was attribute to the water binding capacity and adhesivity of chitosan ascended the dough mixing characteristics, but it would destroy the gluten network structure.