J. D. Wilson

Measurement of Wheat Starch Granule Size Distribution Using Image Analysis and Laser Diffraction Technology

ABSTRACT Starch was isolated from flour of four wheats representing hard red winter (Karl), hard red spring (Gunner), durum (Belfield 3), and spelt (WK 86035-8) wheat classes. Digital image analysis (IA) coupled with light microscopy was used to determine starch size distributions where the volume of granules was calculated as spherical particles or oblate spheroids. Starch granules were classified into three size ranges: A-type granules (> 15 μm), B-type granules (5–15 μm), and C-type granules (<5 μm). An error was noted in using digital image analysis because the perimeter of some granules touch the edge (PTE) of the field being analyzed. To correct for this error, the PTE granules were manually replaced into the field by measuring their diameters and entering them into the database. The results showed differences in the starch size distributions between the classes of wheat evaluated, as well as the method of analysis. Four laser diffraction sizing (LDS) instruments were used to measure granule distrib...

Rapid Isolation of Sorghum and Other Cereal Starches Using Sonication

ABSTRACT High-intensity ultrasound (sonication) was investigated as a method to rapidly purify starch from sorghum and other cereal grains. To improve the process, buffers were optimized to solubilize sorghum proteins in combination with the sonication. Protein content and starch color were determined to evaluate the efficiency of the extraction process. Sonication times, SDS concentration, different types and concentrations of reducing agents (sodium metabisulfite, dithiothreitol, and β-mercaptoethanol), and centrifugation speeds of the starch washing procedure were tested. Protein content of isolated sorghum starch was reduced to 0–0.14% (db) after 2 min of sonication (using any of the reducing agents tested). Sodium metabisulfite was chosen as the preferred reducing agent because of its lower toxicity and odor compared with other reducing agents tested. The optimum conditions for producing high-purity sorghum starches (0.06% protein) were obtained using the following conditions: 2 min of sonication tim...

Relationship of Bread Quality to Kernel, Flour, and Dough Properties

ABSTRACT This study measured the relationship between bread quality and 49 hard red spring (HRS) or 48 hard red winter (HRW) grain, flour, and dough quality characteristics. The estimated bread quality attributes included loaf volume, bake mix time, bake water absorption, and crumb grain score. The best-fit models for loaf volume, bake mix time, and water absorption had R2 values of 0.78–0.93 with five to eight variables. Crumb grain score was not well estimated, and had R2 values ≈0.60. For loaf volume models, grain or flour protein content was the most important parameter included. Bake water absorption was best estimated when using mixograph water absorption, and flour or grain protein content. Bake water absorption models could generally be improved by including farinograph, mixograph, or alveograph measurements. Bake mix time was estimated best when using mixograph mix time, and models could be improved by including glutenin data. When the data set was divided into calibration and prediction sets, th...

Size distribution and properties of wheat starch granules in relation to crumb grain score of pup-loaf bread

ABSTRACT Twelve hard winter wheat flours with protein contents of 11.8–13.6% (14% mb) were selected to investigate starch properties associated with the crumb grain score of experimentally baked pup-loaf bread. The 12 flours were classified in four groups depending on the crumb grain scores, which ranged from 1 (questionable-unsatisfactory) to 4 (satisfactory). Flours in groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 produced breads with pup-loaf volumes of 910–1,035, 1,000–1,005, 950–1,025, and 955–1,010 cm3, respectively. Starches were isolated by a dough handwashing method and purified by washing to give 75–79% combined yield (dry flour basis) of prime (62–71%) and tailing (7–16%) starches. The prime starch was fractionated further into large A-granules and small B-granules by repeated sedimentation in aqueous slurry. All starches were assayed for weight percentage of B-granules, swelling power (92.5°C), amylose content, and granular size distribution by quantitative digital image analysis. A positive linear correlation was fo...

Relationship Between Single Wheat Kernel Particle-Size Distribution and Perten SKCS 4100 Hardness Index

ABSTRACT The Perten Single Kernel Characterization system is the current reference method for determination of single wheat kernel texture. However, the SKCS 4100 calibration method is based on bulk samples. The objective of this research was to develop a single-kernel hardness reference based on single-kernel particle-size distributions (PSD). A total of 473 kernels, drawn from eight different classes, was studied. Material from single kernels that had been crushed on the SKCS 4100 system was collected, milled, then the PSD of each ground single kernel was measured. Wheat kernels from soft and hard classes with similar SKCS hardness indices (HI 40–60) typically had a PSD that was expected from their genetic class. That is, soft kernels tended to have more particles at <21 μm than hard kernels after milling. As such, a combination of HI and PSD gives better discrimination between genetically hard and soft classes than either parameter measured independently. Additionally, the use of SKCS-predicted PSD, co...

Bread Quality of Spelt Wheat and Its Starch

ABSTRACT Flours from five spelt cultivars grown over three years were evaluated as to their breadbaking quality and isolated starch properties. The starch properties included amylose contents, gelatinization temperatures (differential scanning calorimetry), granule size distributions, and pasting properties. Milled flour showed highly variable protein content and was higher than hard winter wheat, with short dough-mix times indicating weak gluten. High protein cultivars gave good crumb scores, some of which surpassed the HRW baking control. Loaf volume was correlated to protein and all spelt cultivars were at least 9–51% lower than the HRW control. Isolated starch properties revealed an increase in amylose in the spelt starches of 2–21% over the hard red winter wheat (HRW) control. Negative correlations were observed for the large A-type granules to bread crumb score, amylose level, and final pasting viscosity for cultivars grown in year 1999 and to pasting temperature in 1998 samples. Positive correlatio...

A comparison of two milling strategies to reduce the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol in barley.

Winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), a potential feedstock for fuel ethanol production, may be contaminated with the trichothecene mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON). DON is a threat to feed and food safety in the United States and may become concentrated during the production of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS). DDGS is a coproduct of fuel ethanol production and is increasingly being used as feed for domestic animals. Therefore, new strategies to reduce the threat of DON in DDGS need to be developed and implemented for grain destined for fuel ethanol production. It is known that large concentrations of DON accumulate in the hulls of wheat and barley. Consequently, improved methods are needed to carefully remove the hull from the grain and preserve the starchy endosperm. Whole kernels from five Virginia winter barley genotypes were used to evaluate the abilities of two different milling strategies (roller milling and precision milling (FitzMill)) for their ability to remove the hull-enriched tissue from the kernel while maintaining starch levels and reducing DON levels in the endosperm-enriched tissue. After whole kernels were milled, DON and starch levels were quantified in the hull-enriched fractions and endosperm-enriched fractions. Initial milling experiments demonstrated that the precision mill system (6 min run time) is able to reduce more DON than the roller mill but with higher starch losses. The average percent DON removed from the kernel with the roller mill was 36.7% ± 5.5 and the average percent DON removed from the dehulled kernel with the precision mill was 85.1% ± 9.0. Endosperm-enriched fractions collected from the roller mill and precision mill contained starch levels ranging from 49.0% ± 12.1 to 59.1% ± 0.5 and 58.5% ± 1.6 to 65.3% ± 3.9, respectively. On average, the precision mill removed a mass of 23.1% ± 6.8 and resulted in starch losses of 9.6% ± 6.3, but produced an endosperm-enriched fraction with relatively very little average DON (5.5 ± 2.7 μg g(-1)). In contrast, on average, the roller mill removed a mass of 12.2% ± 1.6 and resulted in starch losses of 2.1% ± 0.5, but produced an endosperm-enriched fraction with high average DON (20.7 ± 13.5 μg g(-1)). In a time course precision milling experiment, we tested barley genotypes Nomini, Atlantic, and VA96-44-304 and attempted to reduce the starch loss seen in the first experiment while maintaining low DON concentrations. Decreasing the run time of the precision mill from 5 to 2 min, reduced starch loss at the expense of higher DON concentrations. Aspirated fractions revealed that the precision milled hull-enriched fraction contained endosperm-enriched components that were highly contaminated with DON. This work has important implications for the reduction of mycotoxins such as DON in barley fuel ethanol coproducts and barley enriched animal feeds and human foods.

Surface abrasion of hulled and hulless barley: physical characterization of the milled fractions.

ABSTRACT Abrasion techniques were used to remove the hull and pericarp layers of barley kernels to obtain a smaller kernel enriched in endosperm. The objective of this study was to evaluate the fractions produced by two alternative abrading systems on four barley cultivars for potential use in fuel ethanol processes that feature an upstream (of the fermentation) dry fractionation system. Four barley cultivars, two hulled (Thoroughbred and Nomini) and two hulless (Doyce and Merlin), were scarified and whitened at 22 scarification times and three milling degrees (settings 2, 4, and 6), respectively. Three different abrasive surfaces (36, 40, and 50 grit) were used in the scarifier to determine the material removal ratio for each barley cultivar. Material balances and color analyses were conducted for all of the fractions produced. Three fractions were produced with the whitener at each milling degree: broken kernels, fine fractions >323 μm, and fine fractions <323 μm. Setting #2 seems to be the milling leve...