Replacement of Wheat Flour by Chickpea Flour in Muffin Batter: Effect on Rheological Properties

Abstract

The effect on rheological properties of muffin batter of replacing wheat flour (WF) with chickpea flour (CF) was studied by using viscoelastic and steady-state shear tests to characterize the physical structure and predict both processing and batter performances. CF was used to replace WF in the batter partially (25, 50, 75% w/w) or totally (100% w/w, i.e., CF-based gluten-free muffin batter), and compared with a control made only with wheat (100% WF batter). Viscoelasticity and rebuild time decreased significantly with the increase in the percentage of WF replacement. Gluten-free muffin batter had the highest viscosity after shearing reflecting a trend toward a dilatant flow behavior associated with higher intermolecular aggregation interactions due to higher protein content. Rheological properties of the batters are dominated by the starch and protein contents present in the formulations. Replacement of WF by CF also increased the number of air bubbles which were smaller. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSGluten-free muffins should resemble those made from WF, overcoming problems of quality defects and low nutritional value. Potential for use of CF in gluten-free muffins is related to its high protein content, playing a healthy and functional role. Formulation of gluten-reduced and gluten-free muffins involves studying batter rheology and resulting baked product characteristics. Various CF-based muffin batters were formulated and rheologically characterized under small and large deformations to attain insights of structural status and mechanical behavior. Higher WF batter viscoelasticity is related to higher starch content, whereas higher CF batter viscosity after shearing correlated well with higher protein content. CF with starch content adjusted to the level of WF could decrease differences in rheological properties of batters. CF helped to incorporate air into the batter, which is essential for achieving appropriate final volume and spongy texture.

Corn starch and egg white enriched gluten-free chickpea flour batters: Rheological and structural properties

“…In contrast, in the batters made with CF alone (100:0 ratio), both σ max and γ max values were significantly higher in the presence of EW, indicating a different rheological behaviour of this CFbased batter. [8] This singular behaviour is attributed to its higher protein content but is also probably A-E For each rheological property and the same EW level mean values without the same letter are significantly different (P < 0.01). Values are given as mean (n = 9) ± SD.…”

“…[8] It is possible that greater protein content in CF samples could induce and reinforce new intermolecular attractions, resulting in a dilatant system. In the present case, this may result from a rearrangement of the chickpea proteins, enhanced by shearing.…”

“…The hope of IYP 2016 is to position pulses as primary sources of protein and other essential nutrients, leading to dietary uptake. [6][7][8] Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a legume rich in protein, dietary fibre, carbohydrates, folate, and trace minerals (Fe, Mo, Mn). [9] Flatus production is considered to be the most important factor that dissuades people from eating this grain legume, but recent research shows that α-galactosides may also have a beneficial effect by increasing the bifidobacteria population in the colon.…”

“…[1,11,12] A muffin batter may well be defined as a 'cellular system', [13] in which the continuous semisolid matrix formed by a complex fat-in-water emulsion could be considered a multiphase system containing ungelatinised starch granules, oil droplets, proteins, sucrose, and so forth. [8] The authors just cited studied the effect on muffin batter rheological properties of replacing WF with CF and then studied the addition of biopolymers (whey protein, xanthan gum, and inulin) to CF-based muffin formulations, either alone or blended, to evaluate their suitability as a substitute for WF in muffins. [7] Wheat-free muffin batter had the lowest viscoelasticity and the highest viscosity because of higher intermolecular aggregation interactions due to higher protein content.…”

“…CF with starch and protein contents closer to the levels of WF could reduce differences in rheological properties of muffin batters. [8] On the other hand, Matos et al [1] studied the effect of various proteins on the quality of rice muffins; egg white (EW) protein and casein increased specific volume in comparison with their wheat counterparts. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study the suitability of corn starch (CS) with CF and/or the partial replacement effect of whole egg with egg white to improve the functionality of the batter as a further step towards making gluten-free muffins with better quality and sensory characteristics.…”