Effects of Carboxymethyl and Emulsive Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch Gum on Gluten Reinforcement of Wheat Flour

Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch gum (ASKG) can be carboxymethylated and greasy-based emulsified to improve its water solubility and emulsifying property, while the effect of modified ASKG on wheat flour processing as a gluten enhancer remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the gluten-increasing effect of ASKG in the formation of wheat flour dough and the production of greasy dough through its carboxymethylation and emulsification modification. The results showed that the carboxymethylation could reduce the optimum addition amount of ASKG from 1.0% to 0.4% in wheat flour. Carboxymethyl ASKG (C-ASKG) increased the wet gluten content, gluten index, water absorption, dough development time, dough stability time, and reduced the weakening degree. However, C-ASKG did not show better reinforcement in greasy dough than ASKG. In comparison, ASKG emulsified (E-ASKG) by wheat germ oil and palm stearin fat was shown to be more suitable for greasy dough modulation. The addition of 1.0% of ASKG and 5% of oil or fat in flour by emulsification manner reduced the difference between the oil and fat during the formation of gluten and improve the evaluation indexes of dough texture. This study demonstrated that carboxymethylation could reduce the dosage of ASKG used in wheat flour as a gluten enhancer, while emulsive ASKG was suitable for the gluten reinforcement of water-oiled dough.