Solid-state fermentation of wheat bran using tea-derived starters improves dietary fiber composition and whole wheat bread quality
摘要
Wheat bran is an important source of dietary fiber in whole wheat products, yet the high content of insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) drastically impairs dough rheology and bread quality. In this study, solid-state fermentation was applied to wheat bran using ten tea-derived starters. All starters promoted IDF degradation and induced a transient increase in soluble dietary fiber. Among them, QD and FY showed superior modification efficiency, remarkably reducing the crystallinity of cellulose. Consequently, the dough prepared with fermented bran exhibited reduced viscoelastic stiffness and improved flow behavior, while the corresponding breads showed increased specific volume and reduced crumb hardness. Microbiome analysis of QD and FY showed that fermentation markedly reduced bacterial and fungal diversity, selectively enriching the genera of Bacillus and Aspergillus with cellulolytic and xylanolytic potential. Overall, this study provided new insights for modifying wheat bran composition and structure, thereby improving the processing quality of whole wheat bread.