Egg white improved the quality of noodles with high mung bean content by protein aggregation behavior

Abstract

Background and Objectives

Mung bean, as a coarse grain, is rich in protein and phytochemicals. Noodles prepared from mung bean are nutritionally superior to traditional noodles. However, the absence of gluten protein in mung bean limits their incorporation level and might cause adverse effects on the quality of noodles. To address the quality degradation of noodles with high mung bean content due to the lack of gluten proteins, the effects of fresh egg white on their quality improvement were investigated. In this study, the dynamic rheological properties of the dough as well as the changes in free sulfhydryl and SS bonds were determined. The cooking characteristics, sensory, textural properties, and microstructure of the noodles were evaluated.

Findings

Results revealed that the addition of 15% fresh egg white significantly improved the sensory scores of the wheat–mung bean (3:7) composite noodles, which might be attributed to the enhanced modulus of elasticity (G′) of the composite dough system, the increased hydrophilicity, and amount of free sulfhydryl and SS bonds in noodles. Meanwhile, scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy further confirmed that the addition of 15% fresh egg white affected the structures of starch granule and protein network. Furthermore, the addition of 15% fresh egg white minimized the cooking loss and enhanced the springiness, adhesiveness, and chewiness of the noodles, which in turn resulted in the highest sensory scores.

Conclusions

The incorporation of 15% fresh egg white could enhance the quality characteristics of mung bean noodles by protein aggregation, thus receiving a favorable acceptance.

Significance and Novelty

This study explored the possibility of developing a novel noodle with 70% mung bean content. Moreover, the addition of 15% fresh egg white could significantly improve its quality and overall acceptability. This result contributes to the development of high-content gluten-free cereal or other legume noodles.