Reduced fat content of fried batter-breaded fish nuggets by adding dietary fibers: Insight into wheat starch and gluten conformations, fiber properties and anti-fat absorption capacities

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 463; no. Pt 2; p. 141251
• Main Authors: Feng, Jiaqi, Chen, Jiwang, Zhai, Jiahao, Zhang, Peng, Peng, Lijuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15.01.2025
• Subjects: Batter-breaded fish nuggets; Deep-fat frying; Dietary fiber; Gluten; Oil penetration; Wheat starch; Deep-fat frying; Oil penetration; Batter-breaded fish nuggets; Dietary fiber; Gluten; Wheat starch
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.141251

Dietary fibers with excellent processing characteristics and water-holding capacity garnered significant attention in low-fat fried products manufacturing, but further research is lacking to elucidate fat reduction mechanisms. Three dietary fibers were added to the batter of fried batter-breaded fish nuggets, the increased maximum wavelength, fluorescence intensity, surface hydrophobicity value, and S-S/free-SH ratio revealed the enhanced exposure and interaction of hydrophobic groups within gluten. Conversion from both -SH into S-S bonds, and α-helix into β-turn confirmed the establishment of the gluten gel network and a substantially increased gel strength. X-ray diffraction demonstrated the inhibition of amylose-lipid complex formation due to the competitive amylose binding to dietary fiber. Finally, reduced oil effects were evident in surface and penetrated oil contents and oil distribution fluorescence diagram. The work clarified the interactions among dietary fiber, wheat starch and gluten, indicating the composite gel network formation and the crust characteristics alterations, ultimately inhibiting oil penetration. [Display omitted] •Gluten and starch conformational changes caused by dietary fibers were determined.•Gluten-dietary fiber and amylose-dietary fiber composite gels were observed.•Dense and high-strength composite gels contribute to inhibiting fat absorption.•Innovative support was provided to reduce the fat content of fried bread foods.