Commercial Wheat Research Articles

Exploring the role of the liquid phase in dough made with sprouted wheat wholemeal in bread production

To unravel the effect of sprouted wheat wholemeal (SWW) on bread characteristics, baking performance of SWW and commercial white bread wheat flour (BWF) blends was investigated. The inclusion of soft or hard SWW increased the total monosaccharide and reducing sugar concentrations, α-amylase and proteolytic activity in dough liquor (DL) relative to what was found in DL obtained from dough prepared with only BWF or unsprouted wheat wholemeal (UWW). The apparent bulk viscosity and air-water interfacial rheological properties of DL were changed upon inclusion of UWW and SWW in the recipes, likely reflecting changes in the DL arabinoxylan and protein content, while the surface tension of dough liquor was not altered by inclusion of UWW or SWW. The interfacial elastic modulus correlated positively with the protein concentration of DL, while bread loaf volume was negatively correlated with DL protein concentration and air-water interfacial elastic and viscous moduli. DL bulk viscosity, conversely, had a more complex relation to bread loaf volume. Besides affecting the DL properties, sprouting also altered the gluten aggregation properties. More research is needed to identify the fine interplay between all these factors determining breadmaking performance.

¿How yield, milling and baking quality are affected by the presence of Puccinia graminis and Zymoseptoria tritici in bread wheat grown under different environmental conditions?

Foliar diseases decrease yields and modify the wheat crop quality. The aim of this work was to analyze the effects caused by the presence of a biotrophic pathogen such as Puccinia graminis and a hemibiotrophic one such as Zymoseptoria tritici, in a commercial wheat cultivar with high yield potential, on yield, and grain milling and breadmaking attributes under different field environments (generated across years and across sowing dates). Yield, number of grains per unit area and grain weight were mostly reduced when P.graminis was the predominant disease. Although in almost all environments milling yield, grain and flour protein, as well as wet and dry gluten were reduced by the two diseases, the greatest reduction were observed on infected crops with P.graminis. The presence of Zymoseptoria tritici did not affect the breadmaking quality, but when P.graminis was the predominant diseases most of the alveogram parameters were reduced, but surprisingly loaf volume was not significantly affected by biotrophic disease. Thus, the lack of the association between dough strength and loaf volume suggest that diseases affect other parameters (e.g., proportions of gliadin and glutenin) that could alter other properties beyond the traditional milling and breadmaking parameters.

Combining high carotenoid, grain protein content and rust resistance in wheat for food and nutritional security.

Globally, malnutrition has given birth to an alarming predicament, especially in developing countries, and has extensively shifted consumer preferences from conventional high-energy diets to a nutritionally balanced, cost-effective, sustainable, and healthy lifestyle. In keeping with this view and the mandate for developing high-yielding, disease-resistant biofortified staple food (wheat) for catering to the demand-driven market, the current research aimed at stacking together the enhanced grain protein content, carotenoid content, and disease resistance in an elite bread wheat background. The Y gene (PsyE1) and the GpcB1 gene were used as novel sources for enhancing the grain carotenoid and protein content in the commercial elite bread wheat cultivar HD2967. The combination also led to the stacking of resistance against all three foliar rusts owing to linked resistance genes. A stepwise hybridization using Parent 1 (HD2967 + PsyE1/Lr19/Sr25) with Parent 2 (PBW550 + GpcB1/Yr36+ Yr15), coupled with a phenotypic-biochemical selection, narrowed down 2748 F2 individuals to a subset of 649 F2 plants for molecular screening. The gene-specific markers PsyE1, PsyD1, Xucw108, and Xbarc8 for the genes PsyE1, PsyD1, GpcB1, and Yr15, respectively, were employed for forward selection. Four bread wheat lines positive for all the desired genes with high carotenoid (>8ppm) and protein (>13%) content were raised to the F5 generation and will be evaluated for yield potential after bulking. These improved advanced breeding lines developed following multipronged efforts should prove a valuable and unique source for the development of cultivars with improved nutritional quality and rust resistance in wheat breeding programs.

The suppression of TdMRP3 genes reduces the phytic acid and increases the nutrient accumulation in durum wheat grain.

Micronutrient malnutrition affects more than half of the world population. Reduced bioavailability of microelements in the raw materials is considered one of the main causes of mineral deficiency in populations whose diet is largely based on the consumption of staple crops. In this context, the production of low phytic acid (lpa) cereals is a main goal of the breeding programs, as phytic acid (PA) binds essential mineral cations such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) precipitating in the form of phytate salts poorly digested by monogastric animals, including humans, due to the lack of phytases in the digestive tract. Since PA limits the bioavailability of microelements, it is widely recognized as an anti-nutritional compound. A Targeting Induced Local Lesions IN Genomes (TILLING) approach has been undertaken to silence the genes encoding the TdABCC13 proteins, known as Multidrug-Resistance associated Proteins 3 (TdMRP3), transporters involved in the accumulation of PA inside the vacuole in durum wheat. The TdMRP3 complete null genotypes showed a significant reduction in the content of PA and were able to accumulate a higher amount of essential micronutrients (Fe, Zn, Mn) compared to the control. The number of spikelets and seeds per spike, traits associated with the agronomic performances, were reduced compared to the control, but the negative effect was in part balanced by the increased grain weight. The TdMRP3 mutant lines showed morphological differences in the root apparatus such as a significant decrease in the number of root tips, root length, volume and surface area and an increase in root average diameter compared to the control plants. These materials represent a promising basis for obtaining new commercial durum wheats with higher nutritional value.

RHEOLOGICAL, TEXTURAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF BUCKWHEAT SOURDOUGH BREAD PREPARED WITH DIFFERENT LACTIC ACID BACTERIA STRAINS

The aim of this study is to make buckwheat sourdough with three different lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains and to determine its quality on wheat bread. After 24 hours fermentation, microbiological count, pH and TTA values and viscoelastic properties of buckwheat sourdoughs were examined. While the Limosilactobacillus fermentum 29GT-19 strain providing the highest value (109 CFU / g) in microbiological count, it was not observed in the chemically acidified control buckwheat dough. pH values changed from 3.8 to 4.6. The elastic modulus (G´) of all sourdoughs was found to be higher than the viscous modulus (G´´) and a positive correlation was found between rheology graph with increase acidity. The prepared buckwheat doughs were then added to wheat flour as 10% and 20% (w / w). At the same time, commercial yeast bread was made as control bread. In the chemical composition of the breads, Levilactobacillus brevis KCO-48 (dough with 20% buckwheat) sourdough bread had the highest ash content (1.26%) and moisture content. But mostly, the ash content of the breads was low, and the amount of moisture was higher than commercial yeast bread. The breads were generally found to have high crumb hardness (from 11.48 N to 31.34 N). As the concentration of buckwheat sourdough increased, the hardness of the bread increased. The lowest hardness (5.21 N) was determined in commercial yeast wheat bread. The results of this study have had a positive effect on the quality of wheat bread of buckwheat sourdough.

Identifying the stability of a new wheat gliadin extract by protein analysis, skin tests and cell degranulation assay.

The commercial wheat extract for skin prick test (SPT) provides less sensitivity to predict wheat allergy, compared to in-house gliadin extracts. SPT is a preferred method to study extract stability as it is the aim of developing extract. The role of cell degranulation assay, a functional assay with the same mechanism as SPT, is not widely used to determine extract stability. To study the stability of in-house gliadin extracts stored at different periods, by using protein analysis, SPT and degranulation assay of humanized rat basophilic-leukemia (RBL-SX38) cells. Patients with a history of wheat allergy and positive SPT to wheat, were recruited. The gliadin extracts stored for 1, 6, 9, and 12 months at 2-8°C were used in SDS-PAGE, SPT and cell degranulation assay. The cell degranulation was determined by β-hexosaminidase release. AR patients. Forty children were recruited. The gliadin extract stored for 9 and 12 months provided lighter protein bands than 1 and 6 months. However, the wheal diameters from SPT using extracts stored at different periods, were not significantly different (p = 0.09). There were also no significant differences of the β-hexosaminidase released using 0.1 and 1 μg/mL of gliadin extracts stored at different periods (p > 0.05). The 10 μg/mL of gliadin extracts stored at longer periods, significantly stimulated higher β-hexosaminidase release (p = 0.01). The extracts were sterile at all storage times. To determine the stability of in-house gliadin extracts, SPT or cell degranulation assay provided additional information to SDS-PAGE. The extracts were stable for up to 12 months.

A potential role of gliadin extract skin prick test in IgE-mediated wheat allergy.

Wheat extracts containing both water/salt and alcohol soluble proteins may increase extract's accuracy for diagnosing IgE-mediated wheat allergy. This study aimed to determine the performance of new invented in-house prepared wheat extracts for skin prick test (SPT). Children aged 1-18 years with history of immediate wheat allergy were recruited. Four in-house prepared wheat extracts (wheat-Coca-10%EtOH, and 3 new invented extracts, wheat-salt, gliadin, and glutenin) and a commercial wheat extract were used for SPT. Serum specific IgE (sIgE) to wheat and omega-5 (ω-5) gliadin were also determined. Oral food challenge (OFC) with wheat flours was performed in all patients except those with history of wheat-induced anaphylaxis or with recent symptoms within the past 6 months. Thirty-one children were recruited. Of those, 14 were excluded from OFC (12 with history of anaphylaxis and 2 with recent symptom). OFC was positive in 8 of 17 children. Of the 5 extracts and sIgE to wheat and ω-5 gliadin, gliadin extract provided the best SPT performance with 84.2% sensitivity, 88.9% specificity, 94.1% positive predictive value (PPV), 72.7% negative predictive value (NPV), 7.59 positive likelihood ratio (LR), 0.18 negative LR, and 85.7% accuracy. Compared to other in-house and commercial wheat extracts and sIgE to wheat and ω-5 gliadin, SPT with an in-house gliadin extract yielded the highest performance for the diagnosis IgE-mediated wheat allergy.

Water mobility and microstructure of gluten network during dough mixing using TD NMR

This work aimed to establish the relationships between flour components, dough behaviour and changes in water distribution at mixing. TD NMR was used to track water distribution in dough during mixing for different mixing times and hydration levels. Four commercial wheat flours with distinct characteristics were expressly selected to exhibit various dough behaviours at mixing. TD NMR measurements of mixed dough samples revealed four to five water mobility domains depending on the flour type and the mixing modality. A classification tree procedure was used to identify characteristic patterns of water mobility in dough, called hydration states (HS). The HS changes with experimental conditions are highly dependent on flour characteristics, and HS were assigned to physical/chemical changes in the gluten network during dough formation. This study proposes an interpretation of the water distribution in dough based on gluten network development. This will help to adapt the mixing process to the flour characteristics.

Textural characteristics and color analyses of 3D printed gluten-free pizza dough and crust.

A new methodology was developed to print pizza dough with a gluten free flour blend or commercial gluten whole wheat flour using extrusion-based 3-D printing technology. Their physical properties were compared to commercially available pizza dough and crust. The optimized nozzle size, print speed, ingredient flow speed, and line thickness for the 3-D printing of pizza dough were: 0.04cm, 800cm/minutes, 1.8, and 0.34cm, respectively. The printed gluten-free pizza dough required 120min of fermentation to obtain a comparable color and textural profile (P < 0.05) to that of the gluten whole wheat flour dough fermented for 60min. The 3-D printed gluten free, whole-wheat pizza and commercially available wheat flour dough and standard crusts demonstrated identical values of 0.14 and 0.13, respectively with brownness index (BI) values of 1.47 and 1.62, respectively. Textural profile analysis (TPA) of 3-D printed gluten free and whole wheat pizza dough, crust and the commercial standard wheat flour pizza dough and crust demonstrated significant (P < 0.05) correlations in terms of hardness, fracturability, adhesiveness, springiness, cohesiveness, chewiness, and resilience. An optimized method was developed to prepare gluten-free pizza dough and crust with similar functional properties to that of gluten whole wheat flour dough and crust.

Estimating yield in commercial wheat cultivars using the best predictors of powdery mildew and rust diseases.

This four-year research determined the best predictors of black, brown and yellow rusts and powdery mildew development in different wheat cultivars and planting dates across 282 experimental field plots. Parameters estimated by exponential (for black rust and powdery mildew) and Gaussian (for brown and yellow rusts) models, area under disease progress curve (AUDPC), and maximum disease severity were considered as disease progress curve elements. Factor analysis determined the most predictive variables among 19 indicators in order to describe wheat yield. According to principal component analysis (PCA), 11 selected wheat diseases and yield predicators accounted for 60% of total variance in datasets. This PCA test described four principal components involving these selected predictors. Next, multivariate regression model, which developed according to four independent principal components, justified a noticeable part of yield variability over and within growing seasons. Present findings may improve accuracy of future studies to examine seasonal patterns of powdery mildew and rusts, predict wheat yield and develop integrative disease management programs.

Determining levels of water-extractable and water-unextractable arabinoxylan in commercial Swedish wheat flours by a high-throughput method

A high-throughput method for quantification of water extractable arabinoxylan (WE-AX) and water unextractable arabinoxylan (WU-AX) was adapted for and evaluated on 197 commercial Swedish wheat flours, collected continuously during harvest years 2018 and 2019. In the method, starch was hydrolysed by alpha-amylase and WE-AX was precipitated with 80% ethanol. AX residues were quantified by gas chromatography after acid hydrolysis. The method had a good repeatability (2.1% RSDr for total AX). Spring wheat flour had a higher WE-AX content (0.68%) and lower WU-AX content (1.19%) than winter wheat flour (0.56% and 1.31%). The variation of total AX content was high for winter wheat flour (1.5–2.2%), with no correlation to ash or protein content. Total AX content differed significantly both between harvest years and locations, indicating an impact from environment on AX composition. Overall, the method enabled high-throughput analysis of wheat flour and can be further used to study how endogenous AX impacts baking quality.

Earliness and morphotypes of common wheat cultivars of Western and Eastern Siberia.

The global and local climate changes determine the producing of highly-adaptive common (bread) wheat commercial cultivars of a new generation whose optimal earliness matches the climatic features of the territory where the cultivars are farmed. Principal component analysis involving our own and published data has been applied to investigate 98 commercial common wheat cultivars from Western and Eastern Siberia comparing their morphotypes; cultivar zoning time; length of the vegetation period; 1000-grain weight, and inheritance of spring growth habit. It demonstrated that the dominant Vrn gene polymorphism determining the spring growth habit of the Siberian cultivars was minimally polymorphic. In 75 % of the tested cultivars, the spring growth habit was controlled by digenic, namely dominant Vrn-A1 and Vrn-B1 genes. In 25 % of them (24 cultivars), spring growth habit is controlled by a single gene. In 19 and 5 of these cultivars spring growth habit is controlled by only one dominant gene, Vrn-B1 or Vrn-A1, respectively. In cv. Tulun 15, a trigenic control was identified. A conclusion about the optimality of the digenic control for the climatic conditions of both Western and Eastern Siberia has been confirmed. However, since none of the tested cultivars had the dominant Vrn-D1 gene typical of the regions of China and Central Asia bordering Siberia, it can be considered as an additional argument in favor of the European origin of Siberian common wheat cultivars. The revealed high frequency of the Vrn-B1c allele in the Western Siberian cultivars and the Vrn-B1a allele in the Eastern Siberian cultivars suggests their selectivity. The analysis also confirmed the dominance of red glume (ferrugineum, milturum) and awned spike (ferrugineum, erythrospermum) varieties in the Eastern Siberian cultivars, and white glume and awnedless spike (lutescens and albidum) ones in the Western Siberian cultivars. Small grain size cultivars are more typical of Eastern than Western Siberia. The retrospective analysis based on the cultivars' zoning time included in the "State Register for Selection Achievements Admitted for Usage" brought us to the conclusion that the earliness/lateness of modern Siberian commercial cultivars was not regionally but rather zonally-associated (taiga, subtaiga, forest-steppe and steppe zones).

Fine Points of Marker-Assisted Pyramiding of Anthocyanin Biosynthesis Regulatory Genes for the Creation of Black-Grained Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Lines

Enrichment of grains with anthocyanins is considered a feasible approach to improving the nutritional properties of bread wheat. Here, two black-grained substitution lines with either 4B or 4D chromosomes substituted by wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum) 4Th were created via marker-assisted combining the anthocyanin biosynthesis regulatory genes Pp-1, Pp3 (Purple pericarp), and Ba1 (Blue aleurone) in the genetics background of cv. Saratovskaya 29. The black grains manifested the simultaneous accumulation of anthocyanins in aleurone, and the pericarp layers resulted in the highest total anthocyanin content (TAC), which amounted to approximately the sum of TACs of the purple and blue grains. The lines with substitution 4Th(4B) had long trichomes on the leaves, whereas the lines with substitution 4Th(4D) did not differ from parental cv. Saratovskaya 29. Despite the chromosome substitution having a positive effect on the main spike length, the other yield-related traits (grain weight per main spike, the spike number per plant, and the 1000-grain weight) were decreased in the lines with chromosome substitution. The developed lines together with the parental ones constitute a valuable model for comparative studies and genetic stock for breeding commercial wheat cultivars featuring high levels of anthocyanins in grains.

Occurrence of Zearalenone and Enniatin B in Swiss Wheat Grains and Wheat Flours

Wheat is one of the world’s key staple foods, but it is often contaminated with mycotoxin-producing microorganisms, resulting in a large amount of food waste every year. The contamination of wheat grains harvested in 2020 and 2021 in Switzerland, as well as of wheat flours bought in local stores with the two mycotoxins zearalenone (ZEA) and enniatin B (ENB) was investigated. The quantification was performed using LC–MS/MS. ZEA, the level in different cereals and food products of which is regulated by law, was detected in half of the grain samples at levels below 100 µg/kg, except for one sample contaminated with 147 µg/kg. No ZEA was detected in the commercial wheat flours. The emerging mycotoxin ENB was detected in all samples of wheat grains and flours, at levels between 3 and 938 µg/kg. The harvest year was shown to affect the ENB content (p value &lt; 0.01), and in particular the humid weather conditions encountered in 2021 during the month of harvest. The refining grade of the flours showed no influence on the contamination by ENB, indicating that the contamination with ENB can occur not only on the surface layers but also on the inner layers on the wheat grain. As chronic exposure to ENB can therefore not be excluded, decontamination solutions are needed to prevent food waste and further improve the food safety of wheat-based products.

Estimation of statistical parameters in candidate wheat genotypes for yield-related traits

BackgroundThe selection of genotypes in breeding programs relies on accurate estimates of heritability for variables relevant to yield. The better genotypes may be chosen rapidly using statistical estimate. Seventeen advanced breeding lines and three commercial bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes (used as checks) were assessed regarding their genetic characteristics for yield-related traits in the current study. MethodsGrain yield's correlation with several possible qualities was investigated and compared to regional controls. ResultsThe results showed that the peduncle length was positively correlated with the spike length, plant height, and total number of spikes. There was a favorable correlation between grain yield and spike count. The number of tillers per square meter was favorably connected with days to maturity but negatively correlated with grain weight, moisture percentage, and gluten content. The percentage of protein and gluten also declined with the increasing quantity of grains ineach spike. Weight per 1000 grains was favorably connected with moisture percent and negatively correlated with days to maturity. Day of maturity was positively correlated with yield, whereas day of blooming was negatively correlated. The number of tillers m−2 hadstrong heritability and rapid genetic improvement. The number of grains per spike, plant height, 1000-grain weight, peduncle length, days to maturity, and protein percentage all demonstrated high broad sense heritability and moderate genetic advance, whereas spike length and starch percentage both displayed low heritability and poor genetic advance. The number of spikes per plant, plot yield, days to flowering, moisture%, and gluten% all showed moderate heritability with modest genetic progress. ConclusionFollowing from the above, it is recommended that plant features with high heritability and genetic advancement be given preference in selection, while qualities with a negative link to grain output be subjected to cautious selection.

Research on Dynamic Monitoring of Grain Filling Process of Winter Wheat from Time-Series Planet Imageries

Remote sensing has been used as an important means of monitoring crop growth, especially for the monitoring of the formation of crop yield in the middle and late growth period. The information acquisition on the yield formation period of winter wheat is of great significance for winter wheat growth monitoring, yield estimation and scientific management. Hence, the main goal of this study was to verify the possibility of monitoring the grain-filling process of winter wheat and its in-field variability using an alternative non-destructive method based on orbital remote sensing. High-resolution satellite imageries (3 m) were obtained from the PlanetScope platform for three commercial winter wheat fields in Jiangsu Province, China during the reproductive stage of the winter wheat (185–215/193–223/194–224 days after sowing (DAS)). Based on the quantitative analysis of vegetation indices (VIs) obtained from high-resolution satellite imageries and three indicators of the winter wheat grain-filling process, linear, polynomial and logistic growth models were used to establish the relationship between VIs and the three indicators. The research showed a high Pearson correlation (p &lt; 0.001) between winter wheat maturity and most VIs. In the overall model, the remote sensing inversion of the dry thousand-grain weight has the highest accuracy and its R2 reaches more than 0.8, which is followed by fresh thousand-grain weight and water content, the accuracies of which are also considerable. The results indicated a great potential to use high-resolution satellite imageries to monitor winter wheat maturity variability in fields and subfields. In addition, the proposed method contributes to monitoring the dynamic spatio-temporality of the grain-filling progression, allowing for more accurate management strategies in regard to winter wheat.

The effect of in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestive system on the biodegradation of B group vitamins in bread

Today, there is a growing interest in the consumption of whole grain products and the development of bread enriched with vitamins that have functional properties. Considerable losses arise in naturally found vitamins with food processing. Therefore, it is recommended to add vitamins to bread to obtain a satisfactory level. The aim of the current research was to investigate and assess the bioaccessibilities of the vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6 in enriched commercial whole wheat breads by an in vitro digestion model. The average bioaccessibility of vitamin B1, B2, B3, and B6 in enriched breads after digestion was 80%, 64%, 79%, and 64%, respectively. After digestion, the bioaccessibilities of vitamins were affected. Mainly, vitamins B2 and B6 had the lowest bioaccessibility than vitamins B1 and B3. In vitro bioaccessibility was 70.9–90.2%, 54.2–89.7%, 42.1–94.9%, and 44.1–92.5% for vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6, respectively in enriched commercial whole wheat bread. Vitamin B3 was seen with predominantly higher levels among the breads. Knowing the content of these vitamins in breads after digestion is necessary for the healthy nutrition of the population and for determining daily intake.

Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing (mNGS) Data Reveal the Phyllosphere Microbiome of Wheat Plants Infected by the Fungal PathogenZymoseptoria tritici

The fungal pathogen Zymoseptoria tritici is the causal agent of Septoria tritici blotch (STB), a major wheat disease in Western Europe. Microorganisms inhabiting wheat leaves might act as beneficial, biocontrol, or facilitating agents that could limit or stimulate the development of Z. tritici. Improving our understanding of microbial communities in the wheat phyllosphere would lead to new insights into STB management. This article provides fungal and bacterial metabarcoding datasets obtained by sampling wheat leaves with and without symptoms caused by Z. tritici. Tissues were sampled from three commercial wheat varieties on three sampling dates during a cropping season. Weeds around wheat fields were sampled as well. In total, more than 450 leaf samples were collected. The pathogen Z. tritici was quantified using quantitative PCR. We provide the raw metabarcoding datasets, the amplicon sequence variant tables obtained after bioinformatic processing, the metadata associated with each sample (sampling date, wheat variety and tissue health condition), a preliminary descriptive analysis of the data, and the code used for bioinformatic and descriptive statistical analysis.[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .

Production and Evaluation of the Physicochemical, Functional and Sensory Properties of alkubus (steam bread) Produced from the Blends of Two Local Wheat Varieties (Atilla gan Atilla and Seri-M82) and Cowpea Flour Supplements

The quality of the two local wheat varieties (atilla gan atilla, seri-m82) and cowpea composite based alkubus (steam bread) were evaluated. Formulations of 100%, 95%, 90% and 85% were substituted with 5%, 10% and 15% levels of cowpea that yielded 8 experimental groups with 100% control sample of alkubus. Commercial wheat flour sample were employed for alkubus production. The proximate composition, bulk density, water absorption capacity, swelling power, solubility, gluten index, microbial count and acceptability of the alkubus were determined using standard methods of analysis. Bulk density ranged from 0.50 to 0.78 g/cm3 and 0.69 to 0.76 g/cm3 , Water absorption from 56.80 to 59.20% and 50.78 to 69.56% increased with addition of cowpea flour. Swelling power decreased with increase in the solubility of the flour. Alkubus supplemented with cowpea had an increased in protein (10.77 to 13.22%, 9.05 to 10.45%), crude fats (4.21 to 4.61%, 4.09 to 4.51%), ash (2.03 to 2.11%, 1.79 to 2.33%), crude fibre (1.01 to 1.51%, 0.92 to 1.24%) and energy (232 to 256kcal, 236 to 258kcal) which increased with the level of substitution. While moisture decreased with the level of substitutions respectively. Level of acceptability showed that all the alkubus products were acceptable in terms of colour, aroma, taste, flavor and texture when compared with the control at 100%. Alkubus produced from the blends of two local wheat cultivars and cowpea increased the protein content that can satisfy the dietary requirement of human.

Characterization of Fresh Pasta Made of Common and High-Amylose Wheat Flour Mixtures.

This study aims to assess the main biochemical, technological, and nutritional properties of a few samples of fresh pasta composed of commercial common wheat flour blended with increasing percentages, ranging from 0 to 100%, of high-amylose wheat flour. Although the technological parameters of such samples remained practically constant, fresh pasta samples including 50 to 100% of high-amylose wheat flour were classifiable as foods with a low in vitro glycemic index of about 43%. However, only fresh pasta made of 100% high-amylose wheat flour exhibited a resistant starch-to-total starch ratio greater than 14% and was therefore eligible to claim a physiological effect of improved glucose metabolism after a meal, as according to EU Regulation 432/2012.