Effect of disulphides in Allium on breadmaking properties

Abstract

Allium is known to have many medical properties such as antibiotic action, lowering of blood glucose and plasma cholesterol levels, antihyperlipidemia, thrombolysis, antiplatelet aggregation, prevention of rheumatic arthritis, and diuretic effects. Breadmaking properties such as bread height and specific volume were improved in bread from wheat flour blended with Welsh onion (A. fistulosum L.), Scallion (A. chinense L.), and Leek (A. ampeloprasum L.) powders, respectively, that are high in disulfides. Disulfides such as di-n-propyl disulfide (Pro2S2) and dimethyl disulfide (Me2S2) are enzymatically produced in A. fistulosum L., A. chinense L. and A. ampeloprasum L.. Breadmaking properties were also improved in bread prepared from wheat flour blended with disulfide alone replacing each Allium powder, respectively. Brabender Farinographs of Allium powder/wheat flour and disulfide/wheat flour mixtures showed interesting properties in modifying the width of the tail. Sizeexclusion high performance liquid chromatography (SE-HPLC) of the wheat proteins in the control and blended flours showed a profile of low, medium and high molecular weight peaks. The area of the high molecular weight peak was larger in the Allium and disulfide blended flours than in the control indicating this protein was important in the observed improvement.