Optimizing techno-functionality of germinated whole wheat flour steamed bread via glucose oxidase (Gox) and pentosanase (Pn) enzyme innovation

Germination, a powerful biofortification technique, holds immense potential in bolstering the micronutrient profile of essential staple grains, thereby paving the way for optimal nutritional enhancement. The primary goal of this study was to improve the technological functionality of germinated wheat flour by incorporating pentosanase (Pn) and glucose oxidase (Gox) enzymes, with particular emphasis on the evolutionary changes in its components. The inclusion of Gox did not produce any substantial impact on the volumetric characteristics of the steamed bread. The incorporation of Pn and Gox has been seen to enhance the overall excellence of steamed bread by optimizing loaf volume and textural characteristics while also improving the thermal stability of the dough. The existence of two endothermic peaks could be attributed to bound water or alterations in the granules within the starch crystallization region. Adding Pn and Gox reduced and increased the formation and stability time of the dough, respectively. A certain ratio was employed to assess alternations in the crystallinity of starch granules over a limited range. After steaming, a significant decrease in IR1047/1022 was observed, indicating that the elevated temperature partially disrupted the internal starch crystal structure, leading to a gelatinization reaction with water. The ratio of tensile resistance (R) and elongation (E) of dough increased significantly compared to the control. The results obtained from this study indicate that the simultaneous inclusion of enzymes (Pn + Gox) holds significant promise for expanding the technological functionality of germinated wheat flour dough and improving the quality attributes of steamed bread.