Evaluation of Physicochemical, Textural and Cooking Characteristics of Enriched Spaghetti with Barley Bran and Xanthan Gum

Dietary fibers have beneficial physiological and metabolic effects and the enrichment of high-consumption products such as spaghetti with fibers can increase the health and reduce the risk of various diseases in the community. In this study, the effect of processed barley bran (at 40, 50 and 60% levels replacement), xanthan gum (at 1 and 2% levels) and their interactions on cooking properties (water absorption, cooking loss, optimum cooking time and swelling index), microstructural, texture and sensory of spaghetti were evaluated. With increasing barley bran content, the water absorption and cooking loss of spaghetti samples significantly decreased and increased, respectively (P<0.05). The gluten network was weakened by adding fiber by adding fiber, which reduced the cooking time to 10 min. The red value (a index) increased and the brightness (L index) decreased with the increase in the amount of the bran. Increment of barley bran increased the hardness of spaghetti texture noticeably, while the presence of xanthan gum improved the textural properties. The electron microscopy images showed that by adding xanthan, the walls of the air bags become more swollen, and in the presence of the bran caused rough structure. Sensory evaluation results indicated lower total acceptance of bran containing samples. Although the sample containing 40% barley bran and no xanthan gum had the highest overall acceptance among the fiber enriched samples.