Investigating the modulation effects of fermented dietary fiber on structure-property relationships during dough...

To investigate the potential application of wheat bran dietary fiber in fermented dough, this study compared the effects of non-fermented and mixed-fermented insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) at addition levels of 1% and 3% in dough systems during fermentation (0, 30, and 60 min). IDF increases disordered coils by 12.8%-18.3% and reduces β-sheet content by 9.5%-14.6% by promoting protein crosslinking, increasing free thiols and glutenin macropolymers, and enhancing hydrogen bonds by 26.8%-33.4% and hydrophobic interactions. These modifications drive protein conformation towards disorder and promote aggregation, thereby regulating the properties of fermented dough. IDF addition altered dough rheofermentation behavior and deteriorated network structure. Excessive non-fermentation caused viscoelasticity imbalance, increasing hardness and cohesion. Conversely, mixed-fermented mitigated these adverse effects and promoted uniform water distribution. These findings inform dietary fortification strategies using wheat bran in whole cereal foods and expand the potential for reusing agricultural waste.