Transglutaminase enzyme and processing properties of glutinous rice flour
What it found
Adding 0.2% transglutaminase to glutinous rice flour reduced cracking in sweet dumplings after freezing and thawing.
In lab digestion tests, it also slowed starch breakdown.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Slower starch digestion
In lab digestion tests, protein wrapped around starch granules in the treated dumplings. This slowed digestion and reduced the final breakdown rate.
Other findings
Less protein loss
Adding 0.2% transglutaminase during wet processing lowered the amount of protein lost from the glutinous rice flour.
Flour structure changes
The enzyme treatment reduced both the crystallinity and the viscosity of the glutinous rice flour.
Fewer cracks after freezing
Sweet dumplings made with the treated flour cracked less and lost less material when cooked after freeze-thaw cycles.
Softer dumpling texture
The enzyme produced sweet dumplings with lower hardness and viscosity. The authors say this makes them more suitable for people who have trouble swallowing.
What the authors conclude
- They state that their work helps produce tasty, customized sweet dumplings.
- The authors suggest the slower digestion could benefit people managing weight or blood sugar.
How it was done
Developing high-quality starch is a new research focus in food science. The authors wanted to use an enzyme to improve how glutinous rice flour is processed into sweet dumplings.
The researchers added 0.2% transglutaminase during the wet processing of glutinous rice flour. They used the treated flour to make sweet dumplings and tested their physical qualities. They also measured how quickly the dumplings broke down in lab digestion tests.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- Lab digestion tests cannot show exactly how these dumplings break down inside a human body.
- This work looked at short-term processing and digestion, not long-term health effects in people.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Declaration of competing interest The authors declare to have no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Nanjing Agricultural University, PR China
The paper
- Title
- Action of microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) on the processing properties of glutinous rice flour and the quality attributes of sweet dumplings and in vitro digestion
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Animals and lab studies
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Chang T, Bian L, Li G, Zhang C (2025). Action of microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) on the processing properties of glutinous rice flour and the quality attributes of sweet dumplings and in vitro digestion. Food chemistry. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.140992PubMed 39208723DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error