Effect of Plant Polysaccharide Structure on the Thermal and Viscoelastic Properties of Frozen Dough
Keywords:
frozen dough; plant polysaccharides; thermal properties; viscoelasticity; water state; system architecture; cryoprotectionAbstract
Frozen dough is a complex multi-phase material whose functional performance depends on the interactions among ice, water, biopolymers, and low-molecular-mass solutes. Plant polysaccharides are increasingly applied as system-level cryoprotective and rheological modulators, but their effects depend on molecular architecture rather than simple concentration. This paper examines how the structural features of plant polysaccharides, including branching density, chain flexibility, charge distribution, molecular weight, and side-chain organization, influence thermal transitions and viscoelastic responses in frozen dough. A systems perspective is adopted, treating the dough as a dynamically coupled network in which polysaccharides act as distributed structural controllers. The discussion covers ice phase management, water mobility, gluten network stabilization, storage modulus, loss modulus, and long-term robustness. Structural trade-offs are analyzed, including the balance between strong water binding, excessive viscosity, and reduced gas retention. Governance and infrastructure implications are considered for industrial freezing lines, clean label formulations, regulatory compliance, and sustainable ingredient sourcing. The analysis indicates that polysaccharide architecture is not merely a formulation parameter but a critical design variable that determines failure modes, energy sensitivity, and product resilience across supply chains. Future research should combine multiscale characterization, machine learning, and digital twin simulations to guide the deployment of plant polysaccharides in frozen dough systems.
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This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
