Bioscience Methods 2025, Vol.16, No.2, 70-82 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/bm 76 gluten has been found to improve dough development parameters compared to harshly separated gluten, indicating better retention of functional properties (Ceresino et al., 2019). Moreover, the use of green modification methods, such as UV irradiation and thermal treatment, has been shown to effectively modify starch properties while maintaining functional integrity, suggesting similar potential benefits for gluten (Kurdziel et al., 2019). These processes help preserve the structural and functional properties of gluten, making them advantageous for sustainable food production. 6 Functional Modification of Wheat Starch and Gluten 6.1 Physical and chemical modification of starch Physical modification of wheat starch includes techniques such as microwave, ultrasound, and γ-ray treatments. These methods alter the structure and functional properties of starch without the use of chemicals. For example, heat treatment, as a form of physical modification, is used to change the starch properties in wheat flour, enhancing its application in the food industry by improving texture and mouthfeel. Van Rooyen et al. (2022) found that forced convection continuous stirring baking (FCCT) is an efficient heating method that uses convective heating to ensure uniform heat distribution in the grains. The formation of a temperature gradient affects the degree of starch gelatinization, protein denaturation, and enzyme inactivation efficiency. At the same time, moisture diffuses from the interior to the surface of the grains and eventually evaporates, reducing the moisture content and improving storage stability (Figure 2). Repeated and continuous heat-moisture treatments (RHMT and CHMT) are also used to modify the molecular, morphological, and physicochemical properties of wheat starch, resulting in changes such as increased solubility and altered gelatinization temperatures (Su et al., 2020a). These physical modifications can improve the functional properties of starch, such as enhanced resistance to digestion and increased adsorption capacity (Xie et al., 2019). Figure 2 Schematic of convection dry heat treatment of wheat kernels during force convection continuous tumble (FCCT) roasting by means of heat and mass (moisture diffusion) transfer (Adopted from Van Rooyen et al., 2022) Chemical modification of wheat starch includes methods like acid hydrolysis, oxidation, and esterification. These techniques are used to introduce new functional groups into the starch molecules, thereby altering their physicochemical properties. For example, oxidation and cross-linking with agents like hydrogen peroxide and sodium phytate can significantly modify the structural and functional characteristics of wheat starch, enhancing properties such as solubility, swelling power, and freeze-thaw stability (Sun et al., 2017). Chemical modifications like oxidation and esterification are particularly effective in improving the physicochemical properties of starch, making it suitable for various industrial applications, including drug delivery systems (Masina et al., 2017). Additionally, enzymatic modifications, such as those involving the GtfB enzyme, can reduce retrogradation rates and modify the molecular weight and amylose content of wheat starch (Li et al., 2018). 6.2 Functional modification of gluten Crosslinking is a pivotal modification technique used to enhance the thermal stability of gluten. The use of microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) following partial hydrolysis with Alcalase has been shown to significantly increase the storage modulus and thermal denaturation temperature of wheat gluten. This process unfolds the compact gluten structure, increasing β-sheet content and surface hydrophobicity, which in turn improves molecular flexibility and exposes additional glutamine sites for crosslinking (Wang et al., 2016). Additionally,
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