Abstract: This study was aimed to investigate the effect of solid-state fermented wheat bran (FWB) on the quality of wheat flour and noodles in order to provide a reference for the application of deep processing of wheat bran and the development of relevant functional products. The results showed that solid-state fermentation by Rhizopus oryzae improved the nutritional value of wheat bran by increasing the protein content by 85.44% and the soluble dietary fiber content by 3.71 times. The addition of 5%?15% FWB improved the pasting properties of wheat flour and the textural characteristics of cooked noodles, while FWB had negative effects on the farinographical properties of wheat flour. Using fuzzy mathematics and response surface methodology, the optimized formulation of FWB-incorporated noodles consisted of 7.54% (mass fraction m/m, based on wheat flour) FWB, 8% gluten and 0.5% salt (allboth based on mixed flour). Its physicochemical properties met the industry standard requirements. Finally, the in vitro starch digestibility of FWB-incorporated noodles was studied. It turned out that the starch hydrolysis index and predicted glycemic index were 61.29 ± 3.68 and 73.36 ± 2.01, respectively, which were significantly lower than those of ordinary wheat flour noodles, indicating that FWB could improve the nutritional value of noodles.

Key words: solid-state fermentation; wheat bran; wheat flour; noodles; starch digestibility