Effects of Inulin Addition Levels on the Multi-Dimensional Properties of Black Sesame Balls

To investigate the effects of different inulin addition levels on the multi-dimensional properties of black sesame balls, this study set 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% inulin addition levels as variable factors. A range of analytical instruments, including a colorimeter, texture analyzer, X-ray diffractometer (XRD), low-field nuclear magnetic resonance analyzer (LF-NMR), microscope, and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT-IR), were employed to systematically analyze the influences of inulin addition on texture properties, protein secondary structure, water distribution, water activity, centrifugal oil extraction rate, color, microstructure, relative crystallinity, basic nutritional components and sensory evaluation of black sesame balls. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of inulin significantly increased the hardness (from 504.48 g to 952.95 g) and chewiness of black sesame balls, thereby optimizing their texture properties. Meanwhile, inulin addition altered the proportion of protein secondary structures, reduced the centrifugal oil extraction rate (from 6.3% to 4.9%) and water activity, regulated water distribution and crystal structure, and significantly decreased the fat content (from 35.06% to 29.37%). Comprehensive analysis revealed that the addition of inulin at 6%-8% contributed to superior edible quality and nutritional properties of black sesame balls. This study provides a theoretical basis and technical support for the development of functional black sesame ball products.