Physicochemical properties of hydrothermally treated glutinous rice flour and xanthan gum mixture and its application in gluten-free noodles

• Hydrothermally treated polysaccharide mixtures (HTT-PSM) were prepared.
• Lower gelatinisation temperature and higher peak viscosity of HTT-PSM were observed.
• Rice dough incorporated with HTT-PSM exhibited higher extensibility.
• Similar tensile strength and texture profile for gluten-free and wheat noodles.
• Overall texture acceptance in gluten-free noodles in sensory evaluation.

This study reported a quality improver of gluten-free food formulated using hydrothermally treated polysaccharide mixtures (HTT-PSM) of glutinous rice flour and xanthan gum at different concentrations. The pasting and viscoelastic properties were determined by rapid visco analyser and rheometer respectively. The results showed that HTT-PSM had a lower gelatinisation temperature, higher peak viscosity and weaker gel strength than native glutinous rice flour. The incorporation of HTT-PSM into rice dough decreased the dough development time and stability significantly; and increased its extensibility from 2.8 mm to 11.9 mm. Its high extensibility attribute enabled the dough to make gluten-free noodles with higher tensile strength and similar texture profile as compared to wheat noodles. Sensory evaluation showed that the overall texture of the gluten-free noodles was acceptable, but not as comparable to wheat noodles. Positive correlations were observed between xanthan gum content and peak viscosity, gel strength, noodle tensile strength, hardness and chewiness.