Endosperm starch properties in several wheat cultivars preferred for Japanese noodles

Abstract

To characterize superior genotypes for the white Japanese noodle, endosperm starch properties including amylose content, flour peak viscosity and starch-granule bound Waxy (Wx) proteins were compared using several cultivars preferred for noodle manufacture. Amylose contents from three seasons trials and flour peak viscosity from two seasons trials varied among cultivars. Low amylose content was a common property in the noodle cultivars, whereas a high peak viscosity was not always the case. When the Wx proteins were analyzed by sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, a clear reduction in the amount of low molecular weight protein or a lack of the high molecular weight protein occurred in the noodle cultivars. Segregation of Wx proteins was detectable in a B1F1 population, indicating that the Wx protein analysis has a potential as a surrogate of selecting low amylose genotypes in early generations.