Comparison of oxidized and reduced glutathione in the bread-making qualities of rice batter

The demand for gluten-free bread is growing as the recognition of celiac disease and wheat allergy has increased worldwide. In our previous study, reduced glutathione (GSH) was found to improve the gas-retaining properties of rice batter used for gluten-free bread. In this article, oxidized glutathione (GSSG) was shown to have the same effect. Moreover, sensory tests revealed that GSSG bread had a significantly reduced sulfurous odor. Analyses by a gas chromatography-flame photometric detector demonstrated the presence of hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan in the headspace of GSH bread, and also their significant reduction in GSSG bread. The viscoelastic properties and microstructures of GSSG and GSH bread did not noticeably differ. These observations suggest the usefulness of GSSG in making gluten-free rice bread and extend our knowledge of the use of glutathione in food processing. Practical Application: Glutathione, a widely-distributed peptide in cells, improves the bread-making quality of gluten-free rice batter. While both the reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione are effective, GSSG-bread has significantly reduced sulfurous odor compared to GSH-bread.