Wheat Flour Quality Research Articles

Early Program Assessment of the Haryana Wheat Flour Fortification Program, India

ObjectivesIn 2018, a wheat flour fortification program with iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12 fortificants was established within the government-run Public Distribution System (PDS) in Ambala District, Haryana, India to address micronutrient deficiencies. PDS provides basic food and non-food commodities to the families below poverty level at subsidised prices. This study aims to assess household fortified wheat flour consumption among PDS recipients. MethodsIn 2021, we conducted a household survey and interviewed women aged 18–49 years (WRA) about consumption of wheat flour. A systematic probability sample design was used to select 358 households with WRA from a listing of all household beneficiaries enrolled in PDS who were living in the Naraingarh and Barara communities in Ambala District where the wheat flour fortification program was implemented. We assessed the percentages of households who have received and consumed fortified wheat flour from PDS, and assessed the perceived quality of fortified wheat flour compared to non-fortified wheat flour from other sources. ResultsWe were able to reach 88% of the selected households (314/358) and 291 WRA agreed to participate (response rate 93%). Almost 99% (288/291) of households were eligible to obtain fortified wheat flour through PDS and among those eligible, 285 (99%) obtained fortified wheat flour monthly. Household consumption of fortified wheat flour was 98%, and 71% consumed all the fortified wheat flour supply before consuming other non-fortified wheat flours. Among households that reported consumption of fortified wheat flour, 63% reported quality of the fortified wheat flour was similar or better than non-fortified wheat flour from other sources. ConclusionsReceipt and consumption of fortified wheat flour among PDS beneficiaries was very high. A majority of households reported consumption of fortified wheat flour first before other non-fortified wheat flour and that the quality of fortified wheat flour was similar or better than other non-fortified wheat flour. Periodic assessment of the wheat flour fortification program would be helpful to ensure continual high consumption of fortified wheat flour by PDS beneficiaries. Funding SourcesU.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided funding for the assessment.

Grain, flour, and batter properties estimating cake baking potential of wheat flour

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesThe experimental baking test is lengthy, low in throughput and not appropriate for evaluating the large number of wheat flours for baking cakes. To explore effective and efficient tools for the estimation of wheat grain and flour quality for making cakes, grain, flour, and batter characteristics were analyzed and their relationships with cake quality parameters were determined.FindingsKernel hardness and solvent retention capacities (SRCs) exhibited negative relationships with cake volume. The flow distances and rapid visco analyzer viscosities of flour–water and flour–sucrose batters effectively differentiated wheat flour of varying characteristics, and showed significant relationships with cake volume.ConclusionsSRCs and flour–water and flour–sucrose batter viscosities are associated with cake volume and could effectively estimate flour quality for baking cakes. Low kernel hardness and low solvent absorption/retention of flour are desirable for baking cakes. Flour–water and flour–sucrose batters that are less viscous and more fluid produce cakes with higher volumes.Significance and NoveltyThe identification of grain, flour, and batter characteristics as effective estimates of cake baking quality would greatly benefit breeders in the screening of breeding lines and millers and bakers in the selection of wheat grain flour for baking cakes.

Effects of protein oxidation on the rheological behaviour of different wheat flour

AbstractWheat flour proteins are subject to oxidation reactions during production, processing and storage. The quality of protein and the rheological properties of wheat are crucial for the flour industry. However, the impact and mechanism of protein oxidised on wheat flour quality remain unclear. In this study, ozone was used to oxidise wheat grains, the secondary structure of protein in flour and the rheological properties of dough were analysed by FTIR and Mixolab. The proportion of α‐helix and β‐folding of protein were decreased significantly, as were the development time (DDT), stability time (DST) and protein weakening (C2) value of dough. Meanwhile, starch gelatinisation (C3), amylase activity (C4) and retrogradation (C5) were increased significantly, along with the elastic modulus (G′) and viscous modulus (G″). Microstructure analysis indicated that protein oxidation destroyed the gluten network structure in the dough. In addition, the L* value of dough was decreased and a* and b* values were increased significantly. The results showed that the oxidation of protein reduced the stability of protein secondary structure, weakened the structure and stability of the gluten network in dough, and changed the viscoelasticity and colour of dough. Overall, these findings provide a better understanding of rheological behaviour in wheat flour.

Humic acid fertigation and Azotobacter priming improve the nutritional quality of wheat grain and flour

The effect of humic acid (HA) on the nutritional value and quality of wheat grain and flour has rarely been studied. A field experiment to determine the effect of fertigation of HA and Azotobacter chroococcum UT1 (AZ) on nutrient elements (P, K, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cu), dry gluten, protein and essential amino acids of two wheat cultivars (Chamran and Kouhdasht), comparing four treatments (control, HA, AZ and HA × AZ) using randomized complete block design with four replicates was conducted at the research station of Chardavol in Iran. The 2 years data during 2019 and 2020 indicated that the fertigation of HA and its interaction with AZ (HA × AZ) improved the nutrient elements, dry gluten and protein concentration of wheat grain and flour in both wheat cultivars in comparison with the control treatment. Inoculation of AZ reduced dry gluten of flour in the Kouhdasht cultivar by 6.34%. The application of HA × AZ also significantly enhanced the concentration of essential amino acids of wheat grain and flour in both wheat cultivars by 7.24–11.6%. In similar treatments, the concentration of nutrient elements, dry gluten, protein and essential amino acids of the Chamran cultivar were higher than those in Kouhdasht cultivar. Therefore, it can be concluded that the combined application of HA and AZ can be a suitable recommendation for improving wheat quality.

Evolution of Physicochemical Properties, Phenolic Acid Accumulation, and Dough-Making Quality of Whole Wheat Flour During Germination Under UV-B Radiation.

The effects of ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation on the physiological properties, phenolic acid accumulation, and dough-making quality of wheat during germination were investigated. UV-B radiation inhibited the wheat sprout length and reduced the dry matter loss. As phenolic acids were principally present in the kernels' bran, UV-B radiation could promote their accumulation in the interior of germinated wheat (GW). The total phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid, and antioxidant activity were also enhanced significantly during germination with UV-B. UV-B improved the development time, stability time, rheological properties, and viscosity of GW, and inhibited the α-amylase activity, the destruction of the amorphous region of starch particles, and the proteins degradation process during germination, and thus the deterioration of dough-making quality caused by germination was inhibited. Therefore, UV-B radiation could be a potential approach to enhance the nutritional and dough-making quality of germinated whole wheat flour.

Estimating the effect of low-temperature stress on the spatial distribution patterns of protein in wheat grains

As the major component determining wheat flour quality, protein is unevenly distributed in different grain fractions. In this study, mature wheat grains were pearled into nine fractions from the outer to the inner layers. The effects of low-temperature intensity, frequency and occurrence time on the spatial distribution patterns of grain protein were analyzed. The highest and lowest protein contents were observed in the aleurone and innermost endosperm layers under different low-temperature conditions. The contents of protein in the whole grains and each fraction were enhanced by low-temperature, and the enhancement was more obvious under low temperature applied at the booting stage. Compared with low temperature applied only at the booting stage, multiple low temperatures decreased the increase in protein content in wheat grains, which indicated that low-temperature pretreatment at the jointing stage could partly offset the effects of low temperatures on grain protein. In addition, significant linear relationships were observed between the accumulated cold degree days (ACDD) and the protein content in the whole grains and most fractions, which indicated that ACDD could be used to quantify the effect of low temperature on grain protein. Furthermore, a comparison of the relationships between grain protein and two types of ACDD indicated stronger correlations between canopy temperature-based ACDD (ACDDc) and the protein content in the outer and middle layers, whereas stronger correlations were observed between air temperature-based ACDD (ACDDa) and the protein content in the inner layers, which means that we should not only use the air temperature to quantify the effect of low temperature on the protein content distribution of wheat; we also need to consider the canopy temperature that is more closely related to crop development. The results provide an effective method for evaluating the effect of low-temperature stress on grain quality and a novel view for optimizing the utilization of wheat flour under low-temperature condition.

Influence of <i>Tribolium castaneum</i> (Herbst) Infestation on Farinographical Properties of Wheat Flour Dough

The effect of T. castaneum infestation on farinographical properties of dough made from wheat flour infested by initial 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 T. castaneum adults for 0, 30, 60, and 90 d at 15, 25, and 30°C and 75% RH was investigated. The water absorption and softening degree of dough made from wheat flour infested by T. castaneum increased with increasing initial adult population density, storage temperature, and storage time, but the dough development time and stability time decreased significantly at 25 and 30°C. The water absorption, development time, stability time and softening degree of dough made from wheat flour infested by initial 8 T. castaneum adults respectively reached 75.40±0.30%, 1.23±0.25 min, 1.17±0.15 min, and 182.67±1.53 FU after 90 d of storage at 30°C. The farinographical quality of wheat flour infested by adult T. castaneum population changed little at 15°C. Therefore, wheat flour should be stored at low temperature and insect-free environment.

Technological Quality of Dual-purpose Wheat Stored

Defoliation may interfere in the sink-source relationship and influence the technological quality of wheat flour. This study aimed to confirm the effects of plant cutting heights and number of cuttings on the technological wheat flour quality of BRS Umbu and BRS Tarumã cultivars after six months of storage. A completely randomized design was used and treatments consisted of a combination of cutting heights (20 and 30 cm) and number of cuttings (no cutting, 1, 2 and 3 cuttings), resulting in the following treatments: 20/1, 20/2, 20/3 30/1, 30/2, 30/3 and controls with no cuttings. Grain moisture, crude protein, hectoliter weight, gluten strength, falling number and wet gluten were determined. It was observed the behavior for both cultivars and number of cuts was similar, and it was found that the defoliation height of 30 cm resulted in greater decreases in PH and W values of 2.5 and 25.5% respectively. The results indicate that defoliation does not lead to the evolution of the stored wheat evaluated technological properties and with storage, properties such as W and WG of both cultivars showed a reduction.

Overview and in-silico pharmacological profiling of Gliadin: A potential biomaterial

The materials obtained from nature are regarded as the foundation for the development of numerous types of medicinal treatments. In past few years, the substances isolated from plant sources have been used as the advanced vehicles for distribution of drugs. The nanocarriers of protein nature are very abundantly used for the delivery of various pharmacologically active molecules. Additionally such proteins are used in tissue engineering. Gliadin is a naturally occurring protein found in wheat grain. It constitutes around eighty to eighty five percent of the total content of protein in wheat grain and it plays an important role in the quality and dietary significance of wheat flour. Further, it has shown numerous astonishing applications in biomedical and engineering field. Thus, the current paper aims to provide an overview on gliadin including its chemistry, extraction techniques and its significance in drug delivery and tissue engineering. The strong mucoadhesive naturesupported its interface with lining of the stomach, aiding the transport of diverse therapeutic compounds, while the framework and disulfide linkages enlarged the encapsulating capacityof lipophilic compounds, vitamins, and enzymes. Add to it its antimicrobial film capability and fibre flexibility. Gliadin is widely used in cuisine. Further, the in silico pharmacological profilng has also been performed which may be beneficial for future researchers to keep a track of these properties while using gliadin for any of the biomedical or bioengineering purpose.

A new bread formulation based on a partial substitution of soursop residues flour through Mixolab and a process mixture design

Ecuador has one of the highest soursop productions worldwide; however, as this fruit represents a promising market to the country, its organic waste is becoming a major problem. The aim of the study was to use the Mixolab to predict the quality of wheat flour partially substituted by soursop residues flour for bread making. The experiment was performed through a process mixture design; 21 premixes were made, and 10 significant variables were chosen. Using a desirability function, three criteria were optimized: 1) to maximize the use of soursop residues flour (SRF) (20% SRF substitution), 2) to form a loaf with strong gluten network characteristics (5% SRF substitution), and 3) to form a loaf with weak gluten network characteristics (13.2% SRF substitution). Results showed with a 95% confidence level that the new formulation with strong gluten network characteristics, 5% soursop residue flour and 95% wheat flour, was statistically equal to a control bread in moisture, pH and total ashes content. Additionally, an affective test was performed in order to identify the acceptability of the bread among potential consumers.

Effect of <i>Tribolium castaneum</i> (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) Infestation on Wheat Flour Quality at Different Temperatures

Tribolium castaneum is one of the most destructive insects infesting cereals and their products worldwide. The quality changes of wheat flour infested by initial 0 (as a control), 2, 4, 6, and 8 adults of T. castaneum in 500 g wheat flour were investigated at 15, 25, and 30°C after different storage periods. The quality of wheat flour changed little during 150 d storage at 15°C, but it significantly decreased with increasing initial insect density and storage time during 150 d storage at 25 and 30°C. The moisture content, fatty acid value, falling number, and protein content of wheat flour were 12.21±0.19%, 190.08±3.51 mg KOH (100 g)-1, 208.67±7.23 s, and 14.25±0.02% after 30 d storage at 30°C, respectively. The wet gluten content and dry gluten content of wheat flour could not be detected after 90 d storage at 25 and 30°C. These results provide useful information for maintaining wheat flour quality.

Field estimate with NDVI of grain yield and quality of wheat flour

ABSTRACT Nitrogen fertilization is essential for wheat yield and quality but needs more accuracy, and the use of proximal optical sensors in the field can assist in this goal. This study aimed to verify if it is possible to use the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) obtained throughout the wheat growth phase to estimate the grain yield and the technological quality of the flour from cultivars submitted to nitrogen doses. The experiment was conducted at field conditions in Ponta Grossa, PR, Southern Brazil. The experimental design was randomized blocks in a 4 × 6 factorial scheme with four replicates. The cultivars Quartzo, Gralha Azul, Sinuelo, and Toruk, combined with six doses of N (0, 40, 80, 120, 160, and 200 kg ha-1 of N), were evaluated. The NDVI values were sensitive to both nitrogen doses and the different cultivars. There was a relationship between NDVI and grain yield, protein, and gluten concentration of flour. The NDVI estimated the gluten strength, stability, tenacity, extensibility of the mass, and tenacity/extensibility ratio of the flour obtained at the beginning of the cycle, but not for all cultivars. The determinations of NDVI with active optical sensor GreenSeeker in wheat are efficient to estimate the grain yield and the flour quality under field conditions, allowing to generate models for estimation of these variables separately for each cultivar.

Effects of acidic water tempering and heat treatment on the Shiga toxin‐producing Escherichia coli (O121 and O26) load of wheat during tempering and its impact on wheat flour quality

The study investigated the effects of acidic water (sodium bisulfate, SBS/lactic acid, LA) tempering (alone) and in combination with heat treatment on the Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O121 and O26 load of wheat and its impact on wheat flour quality. The results of the study showed that tempering wheat with acidic water (5 and 10% wt/vol) alone reduced its STEC load by 2.0 and 2.6 log CFU/g, respectively (p ≤ .05) after 24 hr of treatment. Heat treatment (55°C) significantly reduced the STEC load below detection limit (<1.6 log CFU/g) after 12 hr of treatment. The hurdle approach (5% acidic water + heat, 55°C) reduced the STEC load below detection limit within 6 hr of treatment. Finally, the wheat flours produced using the hurdle approach had lower pH (5.77–5.97) compared with the control without negatively affecting the baking and milling characteristics. Practical applications The study demonstrated that the hurdle approach of acidic water tempering coupled with heat treatment significantly reduce the Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli load of wheat without negatively impacting the wheat flour quality. Therefore, the combination of acidic water and heat treatment used in this study can be used as an antimicrobial intervention for improving the quality and safety of wheat-milled products.

Application of the alveograph device for the development of requirements for the quality of flour for the production of a wafer sheet

Due to the constantly growing demand for flour confectionery and culinary products, it became necessary to develop specialized requirements for the quality of wheat flour as a raw material. To date, there are no such requirements in our country, and for the production of these products, bakery flour obtained according to the traditional wheat grind scheme was used, the quality of which had to be leveled depending on the range of confectionery products. One way to solve this problem is to differentiate the properties of wheat flour according to its intended purpose and their rationing. The purpose of the study is to develop quality requirements for Russian wheat flour for the production of wafer sheets according to objectively and reliably determined indicators of the dough rheological properties using an alveograph device to create, in the future, a system for classifying wheat flour by its intended purpose. Flour quality assessment was carried out using domestic devices and laboratory equipment (MOK system, Falling-number value, etc.); the dough rheological properties were evaluated by an alveograph device (company Chopin, France), wafer sheets were baked and evaluated using methods previously developed by the authors. The analysis of the interdependence of standardized quality indicators, as well as newly developed ones, was conducted to identify indicators that differentiate the quality of wheat flour by its intended purpose, i.e. by finished products. For this, methods of mathematical statistics were applied.

A Rapid, Reliable RP-UPLC Method for Large-Scale Analysis of Wheat HMW-GS Alleles.

High-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) account for only 10% of total wheat storage proteins, but play an important role in the processing quality of wheat flour. Therefore, identifying HMW-GS alleles associated with good end-use quality provides important information for wheat breeders. To rapidly, accurately and reproducibly identify HMW-GS, we established an optimized reversed-phase ultra-performance liquid chromatography (RP-UPLC) method. Separation parameters were optimized using an ACQUITY UPLC Protein BEH C4 column and stepwise ACN gradient, and the separation patterns and retention times (RTs) of 22 subunits were comparatively analyzed in 16 standard wheat cultivars. All HMW-GS proteins were well separated within about 5.5 min, and all analyses were complete within 12 min. We distinguished the 16 subunits based on RT, although three subunits in 1Bx (1Bx7/1Bx7OE and 1Bx17) and three subunits in 1By (1By8*, 1By9 and 1By15) had overlapping RTs; these were differentiated by SDS-PAGE. To distinguish 1Bx7 and 1Bx7OE, which differ in protein abundance, RP-UPLC was combined with PCR analysis of DNA junction markers. The optimized method was successfully applied to determine HMW-GS alleles in a large collection of bread wheat germplasm (1787 lines). This protocol is an appropriate option for selecting lines harboring favorable HMW-GS alleles in wheat breeding.

Foodomics in wheat flour reveals phenolic profile of different genotypes and technological qualities

Phenolic compounds (PC) strongly contribute to the beneficial health effects of wheat, but their interactions can affect the quality of end-use wheat products. Free and bound PC were comprehensively characterized in 14 wheat flours (Triticum aestivum) from different Brazilian genotypes and technological qualities by using a metabolomics approach (UPLC-ESI-QTOF-MSE) combined with classical characterizations: colorimetry, ash, protein, starch and total phenolic content (TPC). Globally, 43 PC were identified: 33 (bound, 28 (free) and 15 in all flours, regardless of extract. Ferulic acid isomers were the most abundant PC, representing 25–50% of ion abundance depending on genotype. Campeiro, Sossego and Topázio genotypes showed a distinguished profile, with the highest total relative abundance of PC. TPC was significantly higher in flours with higher gluten strength (66.5–58.0 mg GAE/100 g flour). The ratio free-to-bound of PC averaged 1.15 between the flours of different technological qualities. Although PCA highlighted specific PC related to technological qualities, the genotype effect was very pronounced. This study correlates the phenolic profile and technological quality of wheat flours and provides the most recent data on the secondary metabolites profile, especially PC in refined flour, attesting to its significant nutritional importance due to its large consumption in refined forms.

Effect of Some Organic Acids and it's Mixtures as Mold Inhibiters on the Quality of Wheat Flour and Bread Making

Effect of Some Organic Acids and it's Mixtures as Mold Inhibiters on the Quality of Wheat Flour and Bread Making

Organization of the wheat flour quality traceability

Currently, the problems of quality and safety of food products are the most important for the processing enterprises of the agro-industrial complex. Increasingly important are activities aimed at improving the quality of the life cycle processes of food products. One of the basic foods in the diet of most consumers is bread and bakery products, and the main raw material for their production is flour. Therefore, the topic under consideration of our paper is relevant.

Nitrogen and cultivars as field strategies to improve the nutritional status of wheat grain and flour

Wheat grows better and accumulates more nutrients in its grains when fertilized with N. However, improvements in grain quality and flour could be affected during the milling process and by differences in the edaphoclimatic conditions where the crop is grown. Field experiments were performed in Ponta Grossa-Paraná and Itaberá-São Paulo, Brazil, during 2015, under a randomized complete block system, with three replicates and a factorial design, with five cultivars (BRS Gralha Azul, TBIO Sinuelo, TBIO Toruk, CD 1104 and ORS Vintecinto) and six rates of N fertilization (0, 40, 80, 120, 160, and 200 kg N ha−1) as the factors. The N fertilization increased wheat yield (from 1315 to 3017 kg ha−1) and grain protein content (from 158 to 173 kg ha−1) in Ponta Grossa, but not in Itaberá (average grain yield of 4024 kg ha−1). The N fertilization increased the flour protein content in the two locations and the Zn content in the grains and in the flour in Itaberá, but not in Ponta Grossa. Wheat cultivars presented variable concentrations of nutrients in the grains and flour, and the nutrient status in the grains was correlated with that in the flour. In conclusion, both N fertilization and cultivar selection were effective strategies to increase the quality of wheat flour but the magnitude of the improvements were affected by edaphoclimatic conditions.

Evaluation of the Oxidative Stability of Wholegrain Flours Using Nontargeted Ultraperformance Liquid Chromatography Coupled with Electrospray Ionization Quadrupole Time-of-Flight (UPLC-ESI-QTOF) Metabolomics

Lipid stability is one of the major determinants of the quality of wholegrain wheat flours. Wheat grains contain a wide range of metabolites, many of which have antioxidant activities and can inhibit lipid oxidation. Metabolomics offers an opportunity for a broad understanding of the metabolite profiles of wheat germplasm resources. In this study, untargeted liquid chromatography mass spectrometry was used to investigate the metabolite diversity of 65 European wheat varieties. The wheat varieties showed various metabolite profiles. Well-known antioxidants in wheat, such as ferulic acid, α-tocopherol, secoisolariciresinol, and apigenin-diglucoside, were tentatively detected and showed variance among the wheat varieties. Partial least-squares discriminant analysis was used to identify metabolite features associated with the differential oxidative stability of 20 wheat varieties. Tentative markers suggest that, besides the known antioxidants, other compounds may be relevant in predicting the stability of the wholegrain flour, though further study is necessary. The findings build a preliminary foundation of wheat variety selection for stable wholegrain use.