Gluten-free batters, in general, require the incorporation of agents to control their rheology; this role is commonly played by hydrocolloids. New natural sources of hydrocolloids are under permanent research. In this regard, the functional properties of the galactomannan extracted from the seed of Gleditsia triacanthos (Gledi) have been studied. In this work, we evaluated the incorporation of this hydrocolloid, alone and in combination with Xanthan gum, in gluten-free batters and bread and compared it with Guar gum. The incorporation of hydrocolloids increased the viscoelastic profile of the batters. Gledi addition at 0.5% and 1.25% increased the elastic modulus (G′) by 200% and 1500%, respectively, and similar trends were observed when Gledi-Xanthan was used. These increases were more pronounced when Guar and Guar-Xanthan were used. The batters became firmer and more elastically resistant because of the addition of hydrocolloids; batters containing Gledi had lower values of these parameters than batters containing Gledi-Xanthan. The addition of Gledi at both doses significantly increased the volume of the bread compared to the control by about 12%, while when Xanthan gum was included, a decrease was observed, especially at higher doses (by about 12%). The increase in specific volume was accompanied by a decrease in initial crumb firmness and chewiness, and during storage, they were significantly reduced. Bread prepared with Guar gum and Guar-Xanthan gum combinations was also evaluated, and the trends observed were comparable to that of bread with Gledi gum and Gledi-Xanthan gum. The results showed that Gledi addition favors the production of bread of high technological quality.

This study addresses the need for sustainable and clean-label processing methods to enhance the functional and nutritional properties of sorghum flour. Reactive extrusion combining high shear forces and ozonization was selected as an environmentally friendly modification strategy. Whole and polished sorghum flours were processed using a twin-screw extruder, with ozone introduced via ozonated feed water under varying temperature profiles (140 °C and 160 °C) and moisture contents (20% and 23%). Characterization included specific mechanical energy (SME), textural attributes, water absorption and solubility indices (WAI/WSI), viscosity profiles (RVA), and surface chemistry via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Finally, in vitro digestion was used to monitor the kinetics of starch and protein hydrolysis. Ozone reduced SME, increased extrudate density, and lowered expansion and fracture force, particularly in polished flour. The XPS confirmed successful oxidation, showing the conversion of hydroxyl groups into carbonyl and carboxyl groups. Ozone also improved water absorption but reduced solubility and decreased viscosity parameters in polished flour. In vitro digestion showed that extrusion ozonation enhanced protein digestibility at ~25%. At the gastric phase, ozonized whole samples showed 18.3% starch hydrolysis, and ozonized polished flour showed 8.3%, whereas non-ozonized flours exhibited ~25%. These findings prove that ozone-assisted reactive extrusion differentially changes sorghum flour properties, offering a promising approach for improved food applications.