Soybean 7S globulin and rice proteins form network structures: A comprehensive study of rice dough and rice bread

The lack of network structure in rice dough imposes limitations on the production of corresponding gluten-free (GF) food. This study investigated and evaluated the network structure constructed by the interaction of soybean 7S globulin (7S) with rice proteins (RPs), and the improvement of dough. These structural modifications were fully validated by the rice bread system. The results revealed that 7S interacts with RPs predominantly through non-covalent interactions, facilitating the formation of a network structure. The most pronounced structural enhancement was achieved at 6 % 7S addition, corresponding to improvements in dough processability. These structural modifications translated into bread quality enhancements: a 29.22 % reduction in hardness, 10.71 % increase in springiness, 43.12 % elevation in porosity, and 10.54 % enhancement in sensory total score relative to pure rice bread. This study elucidated the network structure formed by the cross-linking and aggregation behavior between 7S protein - rice protein, which will facilitate the production of GF rice foods.