Gaseous Ozonation Modulates the Nutritional, Functional, Pasting, and Structural Properties of Whole Wheat Flour
摘要
This study evaluated the effects of ozone treatment on the functional, nutritional, and structural properties of WWF (WWF) from the DBW 222 variety was exposed to ozone for different durations (5, 15, and 25 min; 2.9, 8.7, and 14.5 g/kg dosage). The composition and dietary fiber fractions of WWF were slightly affected with increase in ozonation time. Functional characteristics, including water absorption, oil absorption, and foaming capacity, were significantly enhanced, whereas emulsion capacity and stability declined with longer exposure. Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity increased, while flavonoid content decreased from 28.74 to 16.24 mg QE/100 g dw with increase in ozonation duration. Anti-nutritional factors such as phytates, tannins, and saponins were significantly reduced. In-vitro starch and protein digestibility of WWF increased from 62.45 to 68.15 (g maltose/100 g) and 71.30 to 76.92 (%) respectively after 15 min of ozonation. FTIR spectra revealed changes in absorption bands around 3277, 2925, and 1640–1660 cm⁻¹, indicating modification of hydroxyl, C–H, and oxidation-related functional groups in proteins and starch following ozonation. X-ray diffraction showed a progressive reduction in relative crystallinity from 44.31 to 38.50 (%). Pasting properties of ozonated whole wheat flour showed improvement upto 15 min, however long exposure leads to slight decrease in these properties. Overall, controlled ozonation offers a clean-label, non-thermal strategy to enhance the functional and nutritional profile of WWF, making it a suitable non thermal processing approach without the chemical improvers, with 15 min treatment showing the favorable overall effects.