Alecia M. Kiszonas

Effect of processing on phenolic composition of dough and bread fractions made from refined and whole wheat flour of three wheat varieties.

This study investigated the effect of breadmaking on the assay of phenolic acids from flour, dough, and bread fractions of three whole and refined wheat varieties. Comparison of the efficacy of two commonly used methods for hydrolysis and extraction of phenoilc acids showed that yields of total phenolic acids (TPA) were 5-17% higher among all varieties and flour types when samples were directly hydrolyzed in the presence of ascorbate and EDTA as compared to the method separating free, soluble conjugates and bound, insoluble phenolic acids. Ferulic acid (FA) was the predominant phenolic acid, accounting for means of 59 and 81% of TPA among all refined and whole wheat fractions, respectively. All phenolic acids measured were more abundant in whole wheat than in refined samples. Results indicated that the total quantified phenolic acids did not change significantly when breads were prepared from refined and whole wheat flour. Thus, the potential phytochemical health benefits of total phenolic acids appear to be preserved during bread baking.

Effect of Soft Kernel Texture on the Milling Properties of Soft Durum Wheat

Worldwide, nearly 20 times more common wheat (Triticum aestivum) is produced than durum wheat (T. turgidum subsp. durum). Durum wheat is predominately milled into coarse semolina owing to the extreme hardness of the kernels. Semolina, lacking the versatility of traditional flour, is used primarily in the production of pasta. The puroindoline genes, responsible for kernel softness in wheat, have been introduced into durum via homoeologous recombination. The objective of this study was to determine what impact the introgression of the puroindoline genes, and subsequent expression of the soft kernel phenotype, had on the milling properties and flour characteristics of durum wheat. Three grain lots of Soft Svevo and one of Soft Alzada, two soft-kernel back-cross derived durum varieties, were milled into flour on the modified Quadrumat Senior laboratory mill at 13, 14, and 16% temper levels. Samples of Svevo (a durum wheat and recurrent parent of Soft Svevo), Xerpha (a soft white winter wheat), and Expresso (a...

Wheat Arabinoxylan Structure Provides Insight into Function

ABSTRACT Recent attention to dietary fiber in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) has invigorated research in the nonstarch carbohydrate arabinoxylan (AX). AX molecules are composed of a linear xylose backbone with arabinose substitutions along the backbone. These arabinose substituents can also carry a ferulic acid moiety. AX molecules can be fractionated into two categories based on extraction properties that have a structural and conformational basis: water-extractable (WEAX) and water-unextractable (WUAX) molecules. The ferulic acid moieties also allow for oxidative cross-linking between AX molecules or the tyrosine residues of proteins. The contents of total AX and WEAX molecules are primarily influenced by genetic differences; however, there is also evidence of environmental influence on content. There are several useful methods for quantifying AX molecules, providing varying levels of structural information as well as accuracy and precision. The high water-absorption capacity of AX molecules results in a ...

A Critical Assessment of the Quantification of Wheat Grain Arabinoxylans Using a Phloroglucinol Colorimetric Assay

Arabinoxylans (AX) of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) play a critical role in processing, end-use quality, and human health and nutrition. Consequently, an efficient, accurate method of AX quantification is desirable. The objective of this work was to evaluate a standard phloroglucinol colorimetric method for quantification of wheat AX. The method is based on the formation and spectrophotometric quantification of a phloroglucide product that results from the reaction of furfural produced during the condensation of pentose sugars with phloroglucinol. Method parameters, including reaction reagents and reaction times, were varied to identify areas for improved accuracy and consistency. Phloroglucide formation at three xylose concentrations was examined over time. The optimal reaction reagents and reaction times were determined based upon improved consistency in xylose quantification. The optimized method was used on xylose and arabinose standards and on whole meal wheat samples for total and water-extractable A...

A Comprehensive Survey of Soft Wheat Grain Quality in U.S. Germplasm

ABSTRACT Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) quality is dependent upon both genetic and environmental factors, which work in concert to produce specific grain, milling, flour, and baking characteristics. This study surveyed all of the 132 soft wheat varieties (cultivars and advanced breeding lines) grown in the U.S. regional nursery system, which encompassed the three main soft wheat producing regions of the United States (eastern and southern soft red winter and western soft white). The quality parameters included test weight, kernel hardness, weight, and diameter, wheat and flour protein, polyphenol oxidase, break flour yield, flour yield, flour ash, milling score, flour swelling volume, flour SDS sedimentation volume, solvent retention capacity (SRC) for water, sodium carbonate, sucrose, and lactic acid, Rapid Visco Analyzer peak pasting viscosity, and cookie diameter. High levels of variation were observed among varieties, regions, and specific environments, with environment being in general a much greater s...

Influence of Soft Kernel Texture on the Flour, Water Absorption, Rheology, and Baking Quality of Durum Wheat

Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum) production worldwide is substantially less than that of common wheat (T. aestivum). Durum kernels are extremely hard; thus, most durum wheat is milled into semolina, which has limited utilization. Soft kernel durum wheat was created by introgression of the puroindoline genes via homoeologous recombination. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the puroindoline genes and soft kernel texture on flour, water absorption, rheology, and baking quality of durum wheat. Soft Svevo and Soft Alzada, back-cross derivatives of the durum varieties Svevo and Alzada, were compared with Svevo, a hard durum wheat, Xerpha, a soft white winter wheat, and Expresso, a hard red spring wheat. Soft Svevo and Soft Alzada exhibited soft kernel texture; low water, sodium carbonate, and sucrose solvent retention capacities (SRCs); and reduced dough water absorptions similar to soft wheat. These results indicate a pronounced effect of the puroindolines. Conversely, SDS...

Wheat Breeding for Quality: A Historical Review

Wheat (Triticum spp. L.) is a leading cereal contributing to the nourishment of humankind. Since its domestication ca. 12 000 years ago, humans have profoundly influenced its evolution. In the more recent past, breeding via cross-hybridization and the selection of progeny with superior end-use quality have moved from solely phenotyping (for example, bread baking quality), to a more detailed genetic approach of selecting genes, alleles and whole genome structure for desirable traits. The present review provides a brief historical summary of wheat improvement for end-use quality. In the last ~150 years, wheat improvement has benefited from advances in genetics, chemistry and biotechnology. In the past couple decades, rapid advances in DNA and next-generation sequencing technology have promised a revolution in wheat improvement. The various technologies are reviewed here. The ‘future’ of wheat improvement may involve the whole-genome-based analysis, ‘genomic selection’. However, to date, the plethora of QTL ...

Modeling End-Use Quality in U.S. Soft Wheat Germplasm

ABSTRACT End-use quality in soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) can be assessed by a wide array of measurements, generally categorized into grain, milling, and baking characteristics. Samples were obtained from four U.S. regional nurseries. Selected parameters included test weight, kernel hardness, kernel size, kernel diameter, wheat protein, polyphenol oxidase activity, flour yield, break flour yield, flour ash content, milling score, flour protein content, flour SDS sedimentation volume, flour swelling volume, Rapid Visco Analyzer peak paste viscosity, solvent retention capacity (SRC) parameters, total and water-extractable arabinoxylan (TAX and WEAX, respectively), and cookie diameter. The objectives were to model cookie diameter and lactic acid SRC as well as to compare exceptionally performing varieties for each quality parameter. Cookie diameter and lactic acid SRC were modeled by using multiple regression analyses and all of the aforementioned quality parameters. Cookie diameter was positively associ...

Tracking Arabinoxylans Through the Preparation of Pancakes

ABSTRACT Arabinoxylans (AX) are well known to have a wide-ranging influence on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) end-use quality and are associated with health benefits. There is little information on the effects of processing on AX properties in high-water-content batter-based products and on the associations between AX properties and end-use quality in such products. The objective of this study was to track total and water-extractable AX (TAX and WEAX, respectively) contents and determine changes in AX characteristics throughout the baking process of pancakes, a batter-based wheat product. The TAX and WEAX contents along with the arabinose-to-xylose (A/X) ratio were quantified in refined flour and wholemeal as well as batter and pancakes from two soft and three hard wheat varieties. ANOVA F values indicated that the variation in TAX content was influenced most by sample type differences (flour versus batter versus pancakes), whereas varietal differences were responsible for the greatest differences in WEAX. ...

Pasta Production: Complexity in Defining Processing Conditions for Reference Trials and Quality Assessment Methods

Pasta is a simple food made from water and durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum) semolina. As pasta increased in popularity, studies endeavored to analyze the attributes that contribute to high-quality pasta. Despite being a simple food, the laboratory-scale analysis of pasta quality is a complex process. Spaghetti is the most commonly studied form of pasta because its long, uniform shape lends itself well to analysis. Pasta production at a laboratory scale is not standardized, leading to large amounts of variation owing to differing equipment and protocols. Pasta production protocols vary in their target moisture content, mixing profile, extrusion die material, and spaghetti diameter. Once pasta is extruded, the equipment and protocols used to dry the pasta at the laboratory scale are far from consistent. Measurement of pasta quality parameters is also lacking in updated standardized methods, making it difficult to compare pasta quality data among laboratories. AACC International is actively worki...