ABSTRACT
The application of pea flour (PF) was restricted by the resulting non-satisfying texture of food with a high addition level of PF. Four lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains with the ability to synthesize dextran (DX) were used to ferment PF in order to modify the texture of PF pastes, screen out promising DX producers, and evaluate the role of the in-situ-produced DX in texture modification. The microbial growth, acidity, and DX contents of PF pastes were first analyzed. Then, the rheological and textural properties of PF pastes after fermentation were assessed. After this, the in-situ-produced DXs in PF pastes were further hydrolyzed, and the corresponding changes were studied. Finally, the protein and starch in PF pastes were hydrolyzed separately to evaluate the role of macromolecular interactions between DX and protein/starch in the texture modification of PF pastes. The four LAB strains were all dominant in PF pastes, and the in-situ-produced DXs by these four strains played a critical role in the texture modification of PF pastes. Among the four DX-positive strains, Ln. pseudomesenteroides DSM 20193 and W. cibaria DSM 15878 were promising DX producers in PF-based media due to their high capacity in synthesizing DX and texture modification. The in-situ-produced DX promoted the formation of a porous network structure that was important for water-holding and texture-retaining. The DX-protein interaction contributed more to the texture modification of PF pastes than did the DX-starch interaction. This study clearly showed the role of the in-situ-produced DX and the DX-protein/starch interactions in the texture modification of PF pastes, which could further guide the utilization of in-situ-produced DXs in legume-based food and promote the exploitation of plant proteins.
