Effects of addition of inulin and β-glucan on selected physicochemical and thermal properties of ultrasonic modified potato flour

Potato flour has poor processing performance because of gluten free status. The study investigates the effect of the addition of inulin and beta-glucan on the process qualities of ultrasonic modified potato flour. Inulin or beta-glucan was added respectively in five amounts of 0.1% - 0.5% according to a step of 0.1%. The doughs with inulin or beta-glucan were more compact and had a more uniform micromorphology. The thermal properties and the water-holding capacity were all significantly increased particularly at the adding amount of 0.3%. The FTIR spectra showed that inulin and beta-glucan were associated with potato flour through hydrogen bonds, which maintained the stability of the structure, and did not differ either between the two types of polysaccharides, or the amount of inulin and beta-glucan added. This study provides some theoretical stepstones to improve the processing quality of potato flour by mitigating the disadvantages attributable to being gluten free. Novelty impact statement The present investigation revealed that the addition of inulin or beta-glucan following ultrasonic treatment can overcome the disadvantages associated with the loose structure of potato flour caused by a lack of gluten protein, beneficial for either actual or potential use for gluten free food development. The study demonstrated that both inulin and beta-glucan can improve the processing quality of ultrasonicated potato flour especially with the amount of 0.3% of inulin or beta-glucan by mitigating the disadvantages attributable to the lack of gluten.