Evaluation of the effect of non-thermal plasma on the physicochemical, technological and functional properties of wheat flour

Bread has a major role in the diet of people in Iran. One of the important factors affecting the quality of bread is the quality of wheat flour protein called gluten. Gluten is the principal structure forming elements of most baked products, contributing to the elasticity, cohesiveness and viscosity characteristics of the dough. Thus, gluten substantially control the quality of wheat flour based products. Due to the importance of the role of gluten and the requirement for improving the flour quality, providing a simple, economical, and efficient method to improve the technical quality of wheat and bread is also an important and controversial challenge. Oxidizing agents are generally added to the wheat flour to accelerate the natural maturing and the flour becomes paler and yields dough with improved baking properties. However, increasing concern about their adverse effects has highlighted the need for the development of alternative oxidants. Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP) is an emerging advanced oxidation process which has recently drawn considerable interest from food scientists. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of non-thermal plasma treatments on the properties of wheat flour.

For this purpose, medium wheat flour was prepared from local silages and treated with ACP at 25V for 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 min. Chemical composition of flour samples (moisture content, protein and ash) were determined using standard methods (AACC, 2002). Color properties, damaged starch water soluble index, wet gluten, gluten index, zeleny and falling number values, water and oil absorption capacities, swelling power and solubility of wheat flour samples were also measured.

The results obtained from the measurement of properties for the treated and untreated flour showed that the water and oil absorptions, swelling power, and solubility, wet gluten, gluten index, Zeleny number and whiteness increased significantly with increasing time, while the pH, moisture content, b * and a * indices, were decreased by plasma treatment. In addition, the results showed that ACP conditions have a significant effect on functional properties that can be created floursand products with various characteristics. The results showed that plasma treatment affected the gluten index and wet gluten and techno functional properties of wheat flour. Overall, this study demonstrated that non-thermal plasma is a quick, efficient way to improve the technological properties of wheat flour, as an alternative to chemical oxidants