Whole Grain Flour Research Articles

A Study of the Influence of Ion-Ozonized Water on the Properties of Pasta Dough Made from Wheat Flour and Pumpkin Powder.

Water treated with ion ozone improves the technological qualities of food products. Therefore, ion-ozonated water was used in the work, and whole-grain flour from soft wheat of the Almaly variety and pumpkin powder were used as raw materials to improve the quality and nutritional value of the pasta. This study investigated the effects of ion-ozone concentration in ion-ozonated water Cio, water temperature tw, pumpkin powder content Cpp and drying temperature td on various characteristics affecting the quality of pasta, including its organoleptic physical, chemical, and rheological properties. These characteristics were assessed by conducting multiple experiments, a total of 25 indicators were determined, such as humidity, acidity, cooking properties, deformation, and other basic quality indicators. To reduce the number of experiments and obtain a reliable assessment of the influence of individual factors on the quality indicators of pasta, methods involving the multifactorial design of experiments were applied. Data processing and all necessary calculations were carried out using the PLAN sequential regression analysis program. Consequently, our findings indicate that minimizing dry water (DM) loss in cooking water requires a dual approach: increasing ion-ozone concentration and optimizing pasta composition and drying conditions, specifically by reducing pumpkin powder content and drying temperature. As a result, it was established that to obtain high-quality pasta from whole-grain flour with high quality and rheological properties, it is necessary to use the following optimal production modes: ion-ozone concentration in ion-ozonated water Cio = 2.5 × 10-6 mg/cm3, water temperature tw = 50 °C, pumpkin powder content Cpp = 3.0%, and pasta drying temperature td = 50 °C. The resulting pasta is an environmentally friendly product with a high content of biologically active substances.

Effect of Bio-Herbicide Application on Durum Wheat Quality: From Grain to Bread Passing through Wholemeal Flour

Using plant extracts to replace traditional chemical herbicides plays an essential role in sustainable agriculture. The present work evaluated the quality of durum wheat cv Valbelice in two years (2014 and 2016) using plant aqueous extracts of sumac (Rhus coriaria L.) and mugwort (Artemisia arborescens L.) as bio-herbicides on the main quality characteristics of durum wheat. The untreated, water-treated, and chemically treated durum wheat products were also analyzed as controls. Following the official methodologies, grain commercial analyses and defects of the kernels were determined. The main chemical and technological features were determined on the wholemeal flour: proteins, dry matter, dry gluten, gluten index, colorimetric parameters, mixograph, falling number, and sedimentation test in SDS. An experimental bread-making test was performed, and the main parameters were detected on the breads: bread volume, weight, moisture, porosity, hardness, and colorimetric parameters on crumb and crust. Within the two years, grain commercial analyses of the total five treatments showed no statistically significant differences concerning test weight (range 75.47–84.33 kg/hL) and thousand kernel weight (range 26.58–35.36 kg/hL). Differently, significant differences were observed in terms of kernel defects, particularly starchy kernels, black pointed kernels, and shrunken kernels, mainly due to the year factor. Analyses on the whole-grain flours showed significant differences. This affected dry gluten content (7.35% to 16.40%) and gluten quality (gluten index from 6.44 to 45.81). Mixograph results for mixing time ranged from 1.90 min to 3.15 min, whilst a peak dough ranged from 6.83 mm to 9.85 mm, showing, in both cases, statistically significant differences between treatments. The falling number showed lower values during the first year (on average 305 s) and then increased in the second year (on average 407 s). The sedimentation test showed no statistically significant differences, ranging from 27.75 mm to 34.00 mm. Regarding the bread produced, statistically significant year-related differences were observed for the parameters loaf volume during the first year (on average 298.75 cm3) and then increased in the second year (on average 417.33 cm3). Weight range 136.85 g to 145.18 g and moisture range 32.50 g/100 g to 39.51 g/100 g. Hardness range 8.65 N to 12.75 N and porosity (range 5.00 to 8.00) were closely related to the type of treatment. Finally, the color of flour and bread appeared to be not statistically significantly affected by treatment type. From a perspective of environmental and economic sustainability, the use of plant extracts with a bio-herbicidal function could replace traditional chemical herbicides.

Changes to Structural and Compositional Features of Water-Soluble Arabinoxylans in Sourdough Bread.

This research investigates the influence of milling methods and starter cultures on the structural characteristics of water-extractable arabinoxylans (WE-AX) in stone-milled whole-grain flour and sourdough bread. Stone milling was conducted to generate six different whole wheat flour samples, from which sourdough bread was produced using wheat and rye starter cultures. The study found that both milling parameters and the type of starter culture significantly impacted the fine structural details of WE-AX, including sugar composition, arabinoxylan (AX) content, and the arabinose-to-xylose (A/X) ratio values. These differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Furthermore, transforming flour into sourdough bread resulted in the molecular degradation of AX, significantly reducing its molecular weight and leading to a more heterogeneous fine structure. This detailed characterization of AX's alterations during food processing provides insights into evaluating its potential health benefits in whole-grain products.

Impact of Processing on the Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity of Sorghum bicolor L. Moench.

Sorghum, a cereal grain rich in nutrients, is a major source of phenolic compounds that can be altered by different processes, thereby modulating their phenolic content and antioxidant properties. Previous studies have characterised phenolic compounds from pigmented and non-pigmented varieties. However, the impact of processing via the cooking and fermentation of these varieties remains unknown. Wholegrain flour samples of Liberty (WhiteLi1 and WhiteLi2), Bazley (RedBa1 and RedBa2), Buster (RedBu1 and RedBu2), Shawaya black (BlackSb), and Shawaya short black 1 (BlackSs) were cooked, fermented, or both then extracted using acidified acetone. The polyphenol profiles were analysed using a UHPLC-Online ABTS and QTOF LC-MS system. The results demonstrated that combining the fermentation and cooking of the BlackSs and BlackSb varieties led to a significant increase (p < 0.05) in total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activities, as determined through DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS assays. The 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging activity of WhiteLi1, BlackSb, RedBu2, and BlackSs increased by 46%, 32%, 25%, and 10%, respectively, post fermentation and cooking. Conversely, fermentation only or cooking generally resulted in lower phenolic content and antioxidant levels than when samples were fully processed compared to raw. Notably, most of the detected antioxidant peaks (53 phenolic compounds) were only detected in fermented and cooked black and red pericarp varieties. The phenolic compounds with the highest antioxidant activities in pigmented sorghum included 3-aminobenzoic acid, 4-acetylburtyic acid, malic acid, caffeic acid, and luteolin derivative. Furthermore, the growing location of Bellata, NSW, showed more detectable phenolic compounds following processing compared to Croppa Creek, NSW. This study demonstrates that sorghum processing releases previously inaccessible polyphenols, making them available for human consumption and potentially providing added health-promoting properties.

Wholegrain triticale sourdough: Effects of triticale:Wheat flour ratio and hydration level on bread quality.

Triticale (×Triticosecale) is a hybrid between wheat (Triticum spp.) and rye (Secale cereale), producing higher grain yields than wheat in challenging environments. Triticale grain is also highly nutritious. Thus, the potential of triticale grain for an expanded range of food applications should be explored. Sourdough bread has unique functional and nutritional properties, but understanding the effects of partial substitution of triticale for wheat flour and varying levels of dough moisture content on sourdough quality requires further research. The aim of this study was to evaluate the wholegrain flour of contrasting triticale cultivars in comparison to that of a common wheat cultivar in commercial sourdough breadmaking. Two triticale cultivars (Goanna and Hawkeye, selected from a panel of Australian genotypes) and one wheat cultivar (Scout) were grown in a field trial in northern NSW, Australia. Differences in quantitative texture and color parameters of the dough and sourdough bread resulting from (1) substitution of commercial wholemeal wheat flour with different proportions of wholegrain triticale or wholegrain wheat (Scout) flour (0%, 60%, 70%, 80%, and 90%) and (2) varying the amount of water included in the dough preparation (70%, 80%, 90%, and 100 g water/100 g flour) were determined. Replacement of wholemeal wheat flour with 60% wholegrain Goanna flour (protein content 12.76%; c.f. 11.50% for Hawkeye, 12.40% for Scout), and addition of 100 g water/100 g flour in the dough preparation gave the highest quality sourdough bread based on specific volume, texture, and color parameters and had similar properties to the control made from wheat alone.

Comprehensive Characterization of Micronized Wholemeal Flours: Investigating Technological Properties across Various Grains.

With a suitable milling system, it is achievable to produce wholegrain flours that match the granulation and technological properties of refined flours while maintaining a complete nutritional profile. This process also minimizes the generation of additional industrial waste. This study aimed to characterize wholemeal flours with a fine granulation size of less than 160 µm: wheat (MWF), rye (MRF), spelt (MSF), barley (MBF), buckwheat (MBWF), and sorghum (MSGF). For comparison, the plain wheat flour type 530 (T530) was analyzed. The flours were assessed in terms of their chemical compositions and alpha amylase activities (the Falling Number assay), pasting properties (amylograph and a Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA)), water absorption using a farinograph, and technological quality based on their water (WRC) and sodium carbonate solvent retention capacity (SRC) profiles. Among the micronized wholemeal flours, wheat flour (MWF) exhibited the highest nutritional value, greatest water absorption, and highest final gelatinization temperature, but had the lowest energy value, carbohydrate content, water SRC, and sodium carbonate SRC. Wholemeal rye flour (MRF) displayed the lowest nutrient content and the highest amylolytic activity, water absorption, and sodium carbonate SRC. The plain wheat flour type 530 (T530) had the lowest water absorption. Special buckwheat flour (MBWF) showed the highest energy value due to its elevated carbohydrate content, along with the lowest sugar and TDF contents, amylolytic activity, and pasting temperature.

Impact of Breeding on Free Amino Acids of Wholegrain Flour in Wheat and Role of Phenology Genes

Impact of Breeding on Free Amino Acids of Wholegrain Flour in Wheat and Role of Phenology Genes

The Bran and Grain Grinding Level Affect the Tensile Characteristics of Bioplastics Derived from Wholegrain Wheat Flours.

The mechanical performance of thermoplastic bulk samples obtained by plasticizing wheat flours differing in grain hardness, alveographic parameters, absence or presence of bran, and grinding level was assessed. Grains of four bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars (Altamira, Aubusson, Blasco, and Bologna) were milled with the aim of producing single-cultivar refined flour (R), or wholegrain flour with fine (F) or coarse (C) grinding. The flours were plasticized, injection molded and tested for tensile properties. The results confirmed that the presence of bran increased the strength (σ) and reduced the elongation at break (ε) of thermoplastics obtained from the flours of each cultivar. The grinding level had an effect, since σ was higher and ε was lower in F than in C samples. SEM analysis of samples revealed that the bran and its texture affected the exposure of starch granules to plasticizer. Composting experiments also revealed that the formulations are able to disintegrate within 21 days with a mass loss rate higher in plastics from F than C flours, while germination tests carried out with cress seeds indicated that it takes two months before the compost loses its phytotoxic effects. Overall, the refining and bran particle size of wheat flours, besides their gluten composition and baking properties, represent novel choice factors to be considered when tailoring the manufacturing of plastic materials for selected requirements and uses.

Effect of whole-grain flour addition on bread sensory quality

Abstract Regarding the consumption of whole grains and fiber, the majority of the population falls short of the recommendations of health organizations. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the type and content of whole-grain flour on the sensory properties of breads. A total of sixteen experimental bread samples were prepared, containing varying proportions of different types of whole-grain flours. Both quantitative descriptive analysis and hedonic analysis were carried out by using categorical ordinal scales. Differences in the graininess of the individual samples were sensorially well discernible. In addition, slightly reduced chewability was described for samples with a higher addition of whole-grain flour. No problems with cohesiveness, increased hardness or unpleasant taste were perceived in the experimental samples. More significant differences were perceived in terms of color intensity. Hedonic ratings for taste, aroma and texture were within narrow ranges and in all cases reached values corresponding to a rather positive evaluation. All experimental samples of breads containing whole-grain flour were rated better from a hedonic point of view compared to the control made from conventional low-milled wheat flour. The addition of 30% whole-grain flour appears to be the most optimal.

Influence of sprouting on phenolic acids, carotenoids, and antioxidant activity of millet varieties

The kernels of two millet varieties (foxtail and red proso) were germinated for 24, 48, and 72 h at 30 °C. Changes in free and bound forms of phenolic acids, lutein/zeaxanthin, and antioxidant activity were evaluated in wholegrain flours from the germinated seeds. Lutein/zeaxanthin increased from 4.08 to 6.65 μg/g in foxtail and from 1.62 to 4.85 μg/g in red proso millets. The two millets significantly scavenged ABTS free radicals, increasing from 351.47 (0 h) to 521.58 μg AAE/g (72 h) in foxtail and from 288.12 (0 h) to 692.46 μg AAE/g (72 h) in red proso. A similar trend was observed in the millets regarding the DPPH assay, in which DPPH free radicals were scavenged from 140.69 (0 h) to 314.25 μg AAE/g (72 h) and from 290.59 to 432.05 μg AAE/g, respectively. Free ferulic acid content was higher in germinated flour for 24 h (1.57 mg/kg dry weight basis) than in ungerminated grains (0.05 mg/kg). The concentrations of bound caffeic acid increased with germination time, from 12.78 mg/kg (0 h) to 31.2 mg/kg in germinated flour for 24 h. The foxtail millet had significant changes in phenolic acid content during germination. This study may provide insights into utilizing different millet varieties and their sprouted flours in food industry.

Improving Crop Health, Performance, and Quality in Organic Spring Wheat Production: The Need to Understand Interactions between Pedoclimatic Conditions, Variety, and Fertilization

Organic wheat production systems have lower yields compared with intensive conventional production and often do not achieve the grain protein content and quality thresholds set by millers and bakers. In contrast, organic production methods were reported to result in higher concentrations of nutritionally desirable micronutrients and lower concentrations of the toxic metal Cd in wheat grain and wholegrain flour. However, although N-availability and variety characteristics are known to affect both gain yields and bread-making quality, the exact reasons for the yield gap and differences in grain processing and nutritional quality between organic and conventional spring wheat production in the UK are poorly understood. The overall aim of this study was therefore to determine to what extent changes in variety choice and fertilization regimes may reduce the yield gap and improve processing quality without affecting nutritional quality in organic spring wheat production. To achieve this aim, we compared crop health, yield, grain processing, and nutritional quality parameters in spring wheat produced using (i) six contrasting spring wheat varieties grown with a standard fertilization regime and (ii) one variety widely used by organic farmers (Paragon) with nine different fertilization regimes in (iii) three UK sites/farms with contrasting pedoclimatic conditions. Significant differences in foliar disease severity, grain yield, and quality parameters were detected between six contrasting spring wheat varieties when grown under organic management regimes. Specifically, the varieties Paragon and Tybalt were identified as the best-performing varieties with respect to foliar disease resistance and grain yield under organic farming conditions and also produced high processing and nutritional quality across the three UK sites. However, the highest grain yields were obtained by Paragon at the Gilchester site and Tybalt at the Sheepdrove and Courtyard sites, while the highest protein contents were produced by Tybalt at the Gilchester site and Paragon at the Sheepdrove and Courtyard sites, which suggests that there is a need for site-specific wheat variety selection in the UK organic sector. Although organic fertilizer input type and level also affected wheat performance, differences between fertilization regimes were smaller than those observed between the five contrasting varieties, which suggests that improvements in spring wheat breeding/selection have a greater potential for increasing crop yield and quality in the organic sector compared with changes to fertilization practices. Overall, results suggest it is feasible to breed/select spring wheat varieties that combine high protein, vitamin E, and micronutrients with low toxic metal (Cd, Pb) concentrations when produced under organic farming conditions. These findings also support the hypothesis that differences in variety choice by organic and conventional farmers have contributed to the differences in nutritional quality between organic and conventional wheat products reported in previous studies.

Effects of sourdough on rheological properties of dough, quality characteristics and staling time of wholemeal wheat croissants

The present study aimed to obtain good quality croissants from wholegrain wheat flour using baking sourdoughs prepared from single starter cultures of Pediococcus acidilactici 02P108 (PA), Pediococcus pentosaceus SM2D17 (PP) and Enteroccocus durans 09B374 (ED) as an attempt to overcome the usual negative effects of the wholegrain flour on the characteristics of this specific bakery product group. Results showed that the addition of sourdough in the wholegrain wheat dough had similar performance as that of conventional baker’s yeast regarding the rheological characteristics of dough. The dynamic viscosity of all sourdough-leavened samples remained higher than that of the control sample at all tested shear rates. A positive effect of sourdoughs used on the development of baking dough was observed in terms of specific volume improvement, higher degree of softening, and reduced baking loss. However, these positive effects were found as strain-specific. The use of Enteroccocus durans 09B374-made sourdough showed the most distinguished sensory characteristics and the best results regarding croissant staling during storage. The study demonstrated that sourdoughs used in wholemeal wheat croissant dough had positive effect on the quality characteristics and shelf-life of products. However, strain selection proved as of key importance for the successful production of wholemeal wheat croissants.

Research of quality indicators of different types of wholegrain flour

The concept of modern nutrition involves the presence of the maximum amount of nutrients, including vitamins, essential amino acids, carotenoids, natural antioxidants, minerals, phenolic and tannin compounds, organic acids, and dietary fibre, which is why the food industry is interested in developing wholegrain products based on crops such as wheat, rye, barley, triticale, buckwheat, corn, and rice. The purpose of the study is to evaluate wholegrain flour using modern production technologies and control its quality, which will lead to a new level of development in the Ukrainian food industry and ensure increased profitability of the flour milling and baking industries. Methods used in the study: theoretical – analysis, synthesis, comparison and generalisation; experimental – identification and measurement to determine the physicochemical, organic, grinding, flour-milling and baking quality indicators of wholegrain wheat flour. Characterising the experimental data of different types of wholegrain flour, it was established that the content of dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre or fibres, mineral content, and easily hydrolysed carbohydrates (starch, hemicellulose) were in the range of 84.7-88.8%, 10.2-16.3%, 0.9-1.7%, 2.3-4.8%, 1.2-3.2%, and 77.5-84.2%, respectively. Indicators such as ash content and flour size directly depended on the grinding scheme and the integrity of all anatomical grain particles. The technology of wholegrain wheat flour production combines the advantages of existing milling methods with minimising the adverse effect on the qualitative and quantitative gluten content, which varied from 21% to 36% in wholegrain flour samples, and the gluten deformation index ranged from 53.8 to 81.7 units. The materials of the study are of practical significance and indicate the need for further research, since when assessing the quality indicators and examining the characteristics of wholegrain wheat flour, attention should be devoted to the further development of optimal technology for the production of bread from this raw material

Identification and biotechnological characterisation of yeast microbiota involved in spontaneous fermented wholegrain sourdoughs.

New strategies in the cereal-based industry has brought about the elaboration of new sourdoughs with better microbial stability and safety as well as nutritional value such as those based on wholegrain flours. This has led to an increasing interest in the selection of adapted yeasts for using them as new starters. Therefore, this study aimed to isolate, identify, and characterise diverse yeast strains from wholegrain spontaneous sourdoughs. Three wholegrain sourdoughs (wheat, rye, and oat) were fermented and monitored for 96 h. Minimum pH values ranged from 3.1 to 3.5 while maximum yeast counts were reached at 72 h. A total of 76 yeast isolates were identified by polymerase chain reaction random amplification of polymorphic DNA (PCR-RAPD) and catalogued in six different species by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The major species were Candida glabrata, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kazachstania unispora, and Wickerhamomyces anomalus. The studied kinetic parameters of the growth curves (λ, G, ODmax , and μmax ) and the fermentation capacity allowed to ascertain that 12 and 5 strains, respectively, were better than baker's yeast control. The fibre assimilation ability (cellulose, xylose, and β-glucan) was observed in the 27% of the strains and only four strains showed phytase activity. The yeast population in the three wholegrain sourdoughs were variable along the fermentation time. Genetic identification showed that strains and species presented a different trend for each sourdough although common species were determined (e.g., W. anomalus). Candida glabrata (4T1) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (3A6) showed, respectively, better kinetics and impedance results than the positive control, while W. anomalus (C4) was notorious in fibre assimilation and phytase degradation. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Marker-assisted breeding of hybrid lines of &lt;i&gt;Triticum dicoccon&lt;/i&gt; (Schrank) Schuebl. × &lt;i&gt;Triticum aethiopicum&lt;/i&gt; Jakubz. with purple grain

Background. Cereals whose grain contains antioxidants salutary for human health are promising for functional nutrition. Anthocyanins inducing purple grain color are antioxidants, and it is crucial to make efforts towards increasing their content in grain. The objective of this work was to assess the content of anthocyanins in emmer grain and the productivity of breeding lines with purple grain. Materials and methods. The study included the F9 lines developed by two-step hybridization between purple-colored Ethiopian wheat (Triticum aethiopicum Jakubz. var. arraseita) and emmer (Triticum dicoccon (Schrank) Schuebl.), and those isolated in F2 using marker-based selection for homozygous dominant alleles of two genes. The parent forms of the hybrids were a naked-grain emmer cultivar ‘Gremme’, an awnless emmer accession (k-25516) from the VIR collection, and an accession from the collection of IPK Gatersleben (Ethiopian wheat line TRI 15744), the donor of the purple color. The content of anthocyanins in whole-grain flour was measured in 12 lines, a structural analysis of plants was carried out, and their quantitative characteristics were assessed. Results. The highest anthocyanin content (82.5 µg per 1 g) was observed in line No. 10 of the 27-3 hybrid. The largest share of threshed naked grains (86.9 ± 7.3 %) was recorded for line No. 6 of the 31-19 hybrid. Line No. 11 of the 27-12 hybrid had the highest test weight (802 ± 13 g/L). Line No. 9 of the 27-1 hybrid showed the best index of grain productivity (389 ± 25 g/m2). Conclusion. Marker-assisted selection made it possible to identify homozygous dominant alleles of the two complementary interacting genes, Pp3 and Pp-B1, which cause the purple color of the grain pericarp. Breeding lines with purple-colored grain demonstrated different levels of the total anthocyanin content, test weight, and grain yield. The lines with high indices of these traits are valuable for breeding practice.

THE IMPACT OF ASPARAGINASE ON TEXTURAL PROPERTIES OF WHOLEGRAIN CEREAL BISCUITS ENRICHED WITH SEA BUCKTHORN POMACE

Cereal biscuits are popular snacks of daily usage. Their nutritional value is enhanced if they are produced from wholegrain flour of nutritionally rich cereals and/or contain valuable natural sources of health promoting compounds. In this study, wholegrain flour from wheat, rye, and triticale (hybrid of wheat and rye) were used as a basis for biscuit production and dried sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) pomace as an additive for enhancement of their nutritional value. Besides nutritional benefits, sea buckthorn pomace addition increased hardness up to 37% and fracturability up to 30%, and moreover, an undesirable acrylamide formation was increased twice in case of wheat and triticale biscuits, and up to 4.5 times in rye biscuits. For diminishing the acrylamide formation, the asparaginase treatment of wet sea buckthorn pomace was applied which resulted in a substantial decrease of acrylamide (30 – 60%) in final biscuits. This intervention was examined in terms of the impact on textural properties of cereal biscuits with sea buckthorn pomace and with enzymatically treated sea buckthorn pomace. Despite expectations of negligible impact on quality properties of biscuits, texture analysis showed significant differences between cereal biscuits containing untreated and enzymatically treated sea buckthorn pomace reflected in a decrease of hardness and fracturability to original values in controls, at least. However, these alterations cannot be fully attributed to an enzymatic treatment of sea buckthorn pomace since the procedure of asparaginase application, including the adjustment of pH to neutral values, affected the properties of this additive. Descriptive sensory analysis and consumer acceptance test revealed significant preferences of triticale and rye biscuits with enzymatically treated sea buckthorn pomace addition.

Impact of starter culture on biochemical properties of sourdough bread related to composition and macronutrient digestibility

Due to the desire for nutritionally dense foods, there is interest in whole grain and sourdough bread products. This research study was carried out to evaluate the effect of different starter cultures and stone mill settings on the nutritional attributes of sourdough bread. Using a stone mill, a blend of three hard red spring wheat varieties was ground into whole-grain flour. Three different gap settings and two different rotation speed values were used to produce flour samples with six different treatments, and those six flour samples were used to make sourdough bread with two different starter cultures. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with a factorial arrangement. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in dietary fiber content, arabinoxylan content, total starch content, and protein digestibility between sourdough bread made with rye and wheat starter cultures. Higher protein digestibility values were observed for most of the sourdough samples with the rye starter culture compared to the wheat starter culture. In addition, the protein digestibility showed a strong negative correlation (r = −0.85) with the coarse particles and a positive correlation (r = 0.70) with the fine particle size fraction. These results demonstrated that selected starter cultures and the raw material with the desired particle size could improve sourdough bread's nutritional attributes and potential application in the baking industry.

The functional implications of high-amylose wholegrain wheat flours: An in vitro digestion and fermentation approach combined with metabolomics

Wheat flour is one of the most prevalent foodstuffs for human consumption, and novel strategies are underway to enhance its nutritional properties. This work evaluated wholegrain flours from bread wheat lines with different amylose/amylopectin ratios through in vitro starch digestion and large intestine fermentation. High-amylose flours presented a higher resistant starch content and lower starch hydrolysis index. Moreover, UHPLC-HRMS metabolomics was carried out to determine the profile of the resulting in vitro fermentates. The multivariate analysis highlighted distinctive profiles between the flours derived from the different lines compared to the wild type. Peptides, glycerophospholipids, polyphenols, and terpenoids were identified as the main markers of the discrimination. The high-amylose flour fermentates showed the richest bioactive profile, containing stilbenes, carotenoids, and saponins. Present findings pave the way toward applying high-amylose flours to design novel functional foods.

Genome-wide association study of lipase and esterase in wholegrain wheat flour (Triticum aestivum L.).

Lipase activity is one of the main causes of the lipid rancidity in wholegrain wheat flour, leading to its short shelf life. Genetically diverse wheat germplasm offers potential for the selection of wheat cultivars with low lipase activity for stable wholegrain end use. This study evaluated 300 European wheat cultivars harvested in 2015 and 2016 on the genetic association of lipase and esterase activities in wholegrain wheat flour. Esterase and lipase activities in wholegrain flour were measured photometrically with p-nitrophenyl butyrate and p-nitrophenyl palmitate as substrates, respectively. Both enzyme activities showed wide ranges among all cultivars within each year, with differences up to 2.5-fold. The two years showed low correlations between each other, indicating a large environmental impact on the enzyme activities. Cultivars 'Julius' and 'Bueno' were suggested to be better suited for stable wholegrain products, as they had consistently low esterase and lipase activities compared to the other cultivars. A genome-wide association study revealed associations with single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes located on the high-quality wheat genome sequence of the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium. Eight and four candidate genes were tentatively proposed to be associated to esterase and lipase activity, respectively, in wholegrain flour. Our work shows esterase and lipase activities from a new perspective, that combines reverse genetics to understand the underlying causes. This study outlines the possibilities and limitations to improve lipid stability of wholegrain wheat by genomics-assisted breeding methods, thereby offering new opportunities to optimize the quality of wholegrain wheat flour and wholegrain products.

Extraction and Quantification of Azelaic Acid from Different Wheat Samples (Triticum durum Desf.) and Evaluation of Their Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities

Azelaic Acid (AzA) is a 9-carbon atom dicarboxylic acid, with numerous pharmacological uses in dermatology. Its effectiveness in papulopustular rosacea and acne vulgaris, among other dermatological disorders such as keratinization and hyper-pigmentation, is thought to be related to its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. It is a by-product of Pityrosporum fungal mycelia metabolism but also it is found in different cereals such as barley, wheat, and rye. Diverse topical formulations of AzA exist in commerce, and it is mainly produced via chemical synthesis. In this study we describe the extraction of AzA from whole grains and whole-grain flour (Triticum durum Desf.) through green methods. Seventeen different extracts were prepared and analyzed for their AzA content by HPLC-MS methods and then screened for their antioxidant activity using spectrophotometric assays (ABTS, DPPH, and Folin-Ciocalteu). Minimum-inhibitory-concentration (MIC) assays against several bacterial and fungal pathogens were performed, to validate their antimicrobial activity. The obtained results indicate that whole grain extracts provide a wider spectrum of activity than the flour matrix; in particular, the Naviglio® extract showed higher AzA content, while the hydroalcoholic ultrasound-assisted extract provided better antimicrobial and antioxidant activity. The data analysis was performed using principal component analysis (PCA), as an unsupervised-pattern-recognition technique, to extract useful analytical and biological information.