Abstract
The effects of lophatherum gracile brongn flavonoids on the multiscale structure and functional properties of wheat dough were investigated. Wheat dough samples with varying contents of lophatherum gracile brongn flavonoids were analyzed to assess changes in thermal-mechanical rheological properties, microstructure, chemical interactions, water distribution, and macropolymer formation by Mixolab mixer, fluorescence microscopy, and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR). The findings revealed that lophatherum gracile brongn flavonoids disrupted the three-dimensional network of gluten proteins in the wheat dough, leading to decreased water-binding capacity and reduced gluten protein crosslinking while enhancing thermal stability and inhibiting the starch retrogradation of the dough. This study provided important insights into the interaction mechanisms between lophatherum gracile brongn flavonoids and the proteins/starch in wheat dough, offering theoretical guidance for the development of novel wheat-based products for industrialization and practical production.