Abstract | Gluten je protein koji se nalazi u žitaricama od kojih je najpoznatija pšenica te ječam i raž. Ima važnu ulogu u pekarskim proizvodima u formiranju teksture i strukture, pružajući im elastičnost i volumen. Međutim, gluten može izazvati ozbiljne zdravstvene probleme oštećujući tanko crijevo osobama koje boluju od celijakije. Celijakija je autoimuna bolest izazvana konzumacijom glutena. Trenutno jedina terapija za ovu bolest je stroga bezglutenska prehrana te zbog toga na tržištu postaje sve popularniji bezglutenski kruh za čiju se proizvodnju koriste različite vrste brašna koji prirodno ne sadrže gluten, kao što je rižino, krumpirovo brašno, kukuruzno brašno i sl. No, zbog izostanka glutena takav kruh može biti manje elastičan i sklon sušenju te zbog toga hidrokoloidi, kao polisaharidi topivi u vodi (ksantan guma, guar guma, guma rogača, psilijum, pektin, konjak guma, želatina, agar, β-glukan, guma arabika...) pridonose strukturi, volumenu, teksturi, okusu i kvaliteti gotovog proizvoda. Osobe oboljele od celijakije zbog svoje bezglutenske prehrane također imaju nizak unos vlakana pa se dodatkom hidrokoloida povećava udjel istih, ali je bitno napomenuti kako takve proizvode karakterizira niska nutritivna vrijednost jer im nedostaju bitni nutritijenti kao što su vitamini, proteini, određeni minerali te prehrambena vlakna. |
Abstract (english) | Gluten is a protein found in cereals, wheat being the best known source along with barley and rye. It plays a crucial role in bakery products, contributing to their texture, structure, elasticity and volume. However, gluten can cause serious health problems and damage the small intestines of people with celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by the consumption of gluten. Currently, the only treatment for this disease is a strict gluten-free diet, which has led to gluten-free bread becoming increasingly popular on the market. For the production of gluten-free bread, various types of flour are used that naturally do not contain gluten, such as rice flour, potato flour, corn flour and others. However, due to the absence of gluten, such bread may be less elastic and tend to dry out. As a solution, hydrocolloids, water-soluble polysaccharides such as xanthan gum, guar gum, locust bean gum, psyllium, pectin, konjac gum, gelatin, agar, β-glucan and gum arabic contribute to the structure, volume, texture, taste and overall quality of the final product. People with celiac disease also tend to have low fiber intake due to their gluten-free diet, and the addition of hydrocolloids increases fiber content. However, it is important to note that such products often have low nutritional value because they lack important nutrients such as vitamins, certain minerals, proteins and fiber. |