Mechanistic evaluation of carboxymethyl cellulose physicochemical and functional activity of breadcrumbs after frying

This study investigated the effect of sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) addition to breadcrumbs. Oil absorption, moisture content and quality characteristics of breadcrumbs were measured, changes in microstructure after frying were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the effects of CMC addition on the physicochemical properties and structure of wheat gluten proteins were analyzed. Our results showed that the addition of 1.5% CMC reduced the oil absorption of breadcrumb samples from 19.80% to 11.39%. Additionally, the crispiness of the breadcrumbs increased from 21,405.33 to 33,978.09 g/s, while the whiteness value improved from 40.35 to 43.81. Furthermore, CMC incorporated breadcrumb samples had lower bound water content and experienced less water loss during frying which was accompanied by the denser microstructure. The activity of gluten proteins was also determined, the results showed that at 1.5% CMC, surface hydrophobicity reduced from 1952.36 to 1173.66, sulfhydryl content decreased from 1.15 to 0.88, and β-folding declined from 26.76 to 25.78. These changes suggest that CMC, being a hydrophilic colloid, enhanced the hydrophilic ability of the breadcrumbs. The incorporation of CMC into breadcrumbs appears to be a promising strategy for reducing oil absorptivity and improving the overall quality of the breadcrumbs.