The role of egg white in improving the cooking properties of dried Tartary buckwheat noodles: Insights into protein-protein interactions.

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of egg white (0-20 %, wet basis) on the cooking quality of dried Tartary buckwheat noodles (DTBNs) and explored the underlying mechanisms. Results demonstrated that egg white significantly improved cooking quality, reducing cooking loss (up to 8.85 %, p < 0.05) and increasing water absorption (p < 0.05). The SDS-extractable protein content decreased from 65.89 % to 41.21 % with increasing egg white, indicating that egg white promoted protein aggregation in DTBNs. SDS-PAGE and FTIR analyses revealed that egg white facilitated protein cross-linking, particularly through disulfide bonds and non-covalent interactions. Notably, proteins exhibited non-covalent aggregation in uncooked noodles, whereas they established disulfide cross-links upon cooking. Microstructural observations revealed that egg whites reinforced the protein network and filled starch gel voids, enhancing noodles' cooking quality. These findings provide valuable insights into improving the quality of DTBNs and highlight the potential of egg whites for developing coarse-grain noodles.