Alleviative effects of carboxymethyl chitosan on the quality deterioration of frozen rice dough during freeze thaw cycles

The objective of this study was to examine the impact of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) on rice dough quality during freeze–thaw cycles (FTCs). We conducted a comprehensive analysis of frozen rice dough using various techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), low–field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF–NMR), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT–IR), size–exclusion high–performance liquid chromatography (SE–HPLC), small–angle X–ray scattering (SAXS), X–ray diffraction (X–RD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and rapid visco–analysis (RVA). Our results revealed that adding carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCh) to frozen rice dough reduced damage to starch granules and gluten proteins during FTCs compared to dough without CMCh. This resulted in the deceleration of the modification of the ordered protein structure. Furthermore, the inclusion of CMCh resulted in increased cross–linking with the large protein polymer, impairing the capacity of bound water to transition into free water within the frozen rice dough. Consequently, this led to an elevation in the storage modulus (G′), effectively retarding the textural transformation of the frozen rice dough. Introducing CMCh to frozen rice dough subsequently decelerated the alterations in the short-range order and crystal structures of starch, consequently modifying the pasting and thermal properties of the frozen rice dough. Based on the results obtained from our experiments, CMCh has a decelerating effect on the impact of frozen rice dough on FTCs.