Rheological properties of kafirin and zein prolamins

The possibility of forming dough from kafirin was investigated and laboratory prepared kafirin was formed into a viscoelastic dough system. Measurements with Contraction Flow showed that dough systems prepared from kafirin and from commercial zein had the required extensional rheological properties for baking of leavened bread. The extensional viscosity and strain hardening of the kafirin and zein dough systems were similar to those of gluten and wheat flour doughs. The kafirin dough system, however, unlike the zein dough system rapidly became very stiff. The stiffening behaviour of the kafirin dough system was presumed to be caused by cross-linking of kafirin monomers. SDS-PAGE showed that the kafirin essentially only contained α- and γ-kafirin, whereas the zein essentially only contained α-zein. Since γ-kafirin contains more cysteine residues than the α-prolamin it is more likely to form disulphide cross-links, which probably caused the differences in stiffening behaviour between kafirin and zein dough systems. Overall the kafirin dough system displayed rheological properties sufficient for baking of porous bread. Kafirin like zein appears to have promising properties for making non-gluten leavened doughs.     

Oxidation of commercial (α-type) zein with hydrogen peroxide improves its hydration and dramatically increases dough extensibility even below its glass transition temperature

To improve the rheological properties of zein doughs, α-type zein and zein-starch doughs were prepared with the oxidising agents, hydrogen peroxide and peroxidase, which strengthen gluten-based doughs by cross-linking. Hydrogen peroxide and peroxidase increased zein dough extensibility compared to preparation with water. Hydrogen peroxide prepared zein doughs were extensible and cohesive below zein’s glass transition temperature. The doughs did not exude water and maintained flexibility when stored. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that in zein-starch doughs prepared with hydrogen peroxide a thin continuous zein matrix was formed around the starch granules, whereas doughs prepared with water exhibited clumps of granules. SDS-PAGE of zein doughs and films treated with the oxidising agents showed no evidence of zein polymerisation, nor did Fourier transform infrared spectrometry reveal any significant changes in secondary structure. Further, hydrogen peroxide treatment did not increase zein film glass transition temperature, but it did increase transition enthalpy, and film water uptake increased with hydrogen peroxide concentration. The greatly increased extensibility of hydrogen peroxide prepared zein doughs and their improved water-holding are not due to oxidative cross-linking. It is proposed that the effects are primarily due to hydroxylation of amino acid aliphatic side chains, improving hydration through hydrogen bonding.     

Effect of zein extrusion and starch type on the rheological behavior of gluten-free dough

Previous research has shown that zein, above its glass transition temperature, may adopt molecular structures that are able to form doughs with viscoelastic properties comparable to those of wheat gluten. It is hypothesized that extrusion can promote molecular changes in zein and favor interactions with starch that enhance dough viscoelasticity. Thus, the effects of extruding zein at 90–160 °C on the rheological properties of doughs prepared with potato, rice, and maize starches were determined.Formulations were optimized to provide similar mixing profiles to that of a standard wheat dough. For all zein samples, creep-recovery tests demonstrated that doughs prepared with maize and potato starches were less elastic when compared to doughs prepared with rice starch. Zein doughs produced using rice starch were comparable to wheat-dough. Extensional tests showed that zein extruded at 160 °C provided a larger increase in strain-hardening behavior, which is important for bread production. These samples also exhibited larger extensional stresses. Gel electrophoresis of zein extruded at 160 °C revealed an increase in protein aggregates and the presence of smaller peptides when compared to samples subjected at lower extrusion temperatures.Scanning electron micrographs of doughs containing zein showed starch granules embedded within an amorphous material and fibrous structures, which is attributed to elongated zein.     

Mixing behaviour of a zero-developed dough compared to a flour–water mixture

The Z-blade mixing behaviour of zero-developed (ZD) doughs from the flours of two wheat cultivars of different gluten strength was compared to that of conventionally mixed dough made from the same flours. In farinograph experiments, use of ZD dough led to shorter development time (with less energy requirement), less stability time, and consequently earlier breakdown compared to conventional mixing of the corresponding flour–water mixture. Mixing of ZD doughs led to an almost similar decrease of glutenin macro-polymer (GMP) wet weight as that of doughs prepared from flour–water mixtures. However, comparison of wet weight of re-assembled GMP revealed that until time-to-peak (TTP) mixing, there was no difference in GMP recovery with respect to the starting material used in the z-blade mixing experiments. Beyond TTP, recovery of GMP in doughs prepared from both starting materials was reduced. The results of large-strain deformation rheology showed strong visco-elastic behaviour as characterised by the highest values of fracture properties (except ε_H), followed by a decline in those properties upon further mixing for doughs mixed from both flour–water mixture and ZD dough from both types of wheat cultivars. It was concluded that at mixing regimes before TTP, there was no difference between ZD doughs and flour–water mixtures in the mixer. When ZD dough is used as a starting material for dough preparation instead of flour, extra care should be taken not to over-mix the developing dough.     

Preparation and characterization of gluten-free sheeted doughs and noodles with zein and rice flour containing different amylose contents

This study aimed to explore the feasibility of zein as a gluten alternative in preparing sheeted doughs with rice flours containing different amylose contents (12, 19, and 26%) that were successfully slit into noodle strands. Rice-zein mixtures with lower amylose contents exhibited lower pasting parameters and the high amylose paste samples possessed more elastic properties. Higher water absorption was observed in the low amylose rice-zein mixture whereas the use of zein were effective in increasing the stability of rice dough regardless of amylose content. In case of thermal conductivity, the noodle doughs prepared with high amylose rice-zein mixture had low thermal conductivity, probably implying a long cooking time. The structure of the rice-zein noodles had a tendency to become firmer with increasing levels of amylose by showing greater breaking stress and resistance to extension that could be correlated to reduced cooking loss.     

Effects of composition on dough development and air entrainment in doughs made from gluten-starch blends

Gluten and starch are the two main ingredients of a wheat flour dough and it is expected that the extent of air occlusion into the dough would be affected by differences in their relative ratios. The objectives of this paper were to investigate the hydration and development of gluten and how these key events in dough mixing affected air occlusion in gluten-starch doughs. For gluten-starch doughs of the same gluten content, decreasing the water absorption shortened development time and decreased dough density. For formulations of the same water absorption, decreasing the gluten content prolonged the time to development and increased dough density, reflecting less net air entrainment into the dough. The ratios of gluten, starch and water strongly influenced the development of the dough into a good gas-holding material, with the extent of gas entrainment during mixing being evident in measurements of both dough consistency and dough development time.     

Strain Hardening Properties and Extensibility of Flour and Gluten Doughs in Relation to Breadmaking Performance

The mechanical properties of flour–water doughs and hydrated gluten of different wheat cultivars were determined. Measurements were performed at small deformations (dynamic measurements) as well as at large deformations (biaxial extension measurements). Results of dynamic measurements of flour doughs related poorly to breadmaking quality. For hydrated gluten doughs, all having the same water content, it was found that glutens from wheat cultivars with good baking quality had higher values for the storage modulus,G, and lower values for the loss tangent. The relevant type of deformation around an expanding gas bubble is biaxial extension. Wheats with a good baking performance exhibited greater strain hardening and greater extensibility. The differences in strain hardening observed at 20 °C were also present at 55 °C. No clear effects of NaCl or emulsifiers on the biaxial extension properties of flour dough were found. Extensograms as well as Alveograms from the flour doughs showed that, in general, good baking flours exhibited stronger resistance to extension and a greater extensibility, but differences found were not directly related to the results of the baking tests. The results indicate that the baking performance of dough is related to a combination of at least three different rheological characteristics.     

Study of the mechanism of improvement due to waxy wheat flour addition on the quality of frozen dough bread

Waxy wheat flour (WWF) was substituted for 10% regular wheat flour (RWF) in frozen doughs and the physicochemical properties of starch and protein isolated from the frozen doughs stored for different time intervals (0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks) were determined to establish the underlying reasons leading to the effects observed in WWF addition on frozen dough quality. Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) among others, the gluten content, water molecular state, glutenin macropolymer content, damaged starch content, starch swelling power, gelatinization properties, starch crystallinity and bread specific volume were measured. Compared to RWF dough at the same frozen storage condition, 10% WWF addition decreased dry gluten and glutenin macropolymer contents and T₂₃ proton density of frozen dough, but increased the wet gluten content, T₂₁ and T₂₂ proton density. 10% WWF addition also decreased damaged starch content, but increased starch swelling power, gelatinization temperature and enthalpy, crystallinity of starch and bread specific volume of frozen dough. Results in the present study showed that the improvement observed due to WWF addition in frozen dough bread quality might be attributed to its inhibition of redistribution of water molecules bound to proteins, increase in damaged starch content and decrease in starch swelling power.     

Transgenic sorghum with suppressed synthesis of kafirin subclasses: Effects on flour and dough rheological characteristics

Arising from work showing that conventionally bred high protein digestibility sorghum types have improved flour and dough functionality, the flour and dough properties of transgenic biofortified sorghum lines with increased protein digestibility and high lysine content (TG-HD) resulting from suppressed synthesis of several kafirin subclasses, especially the cysteine-rich γ-kafirin, were studied. TG-HD sorghums had higher flour water solubility at 30 °C (p < 0.05) and much higher paste viscosity (41% higher) than their null controls (NC). TG-HD doughs were twice as strong as their NC and dynamic rheological analysis indicated that the TG doughs were somewhat more elastic up to 90 °C. CLSM of doughs and pastes indicated that TG-HD had a less compact endosperm protein matrix surround the starch compared to their NC. The improved flour and dough functional properties of the TG-HD sorghums seem to be caused by reduced endosperm compactness resulting from suppression of synthesis of several kafirin subclasses which modifies protein body and protein matrix structure, and to improved protein-starch interaction through hydrogen bonding specifically caused by reduction in the level of the hydrophobic γ-kafirin. The improved flour functionality of these transgenic biofortified sorghums can increase their commercial utility by complementing their improved nutritional quality.     

Effects of laccase,xylanase and their combination on the rheological properties of wheat doughs

The effects of Trametes hirsuta laccase alone and in combination with Aspergillus oryzae and Bacillus subtilis xylanases on dough extensibility were studied using the Kieffer test to determine the dough extensibility (E_x) and the resistance to stretching (R_max). Laccase treatment resulted in dough hardening: the R_max of dough increased and the E_x at R_max decreased as a function of dosage (5–50 nkat/g flour). Xylanases softened flour and gluten doughs. Hardening by laccases and softening by xylanases was weaker in gluten doughs. Dough hardening, observed in the laccase treatments, decreased as a function of dough resting time. The softening effect occurred especially at higher laccase dosages (≈50 nkat/g flour). The softening phenomenon was related to the laccase-mediated depolymerization of the cross-linked AX network. In combined laccase and xylanase treatments, the effect of laccase was predominant, especially at low xylanase dosage, but when xylanase was added to flour dough at high concentrations, the hardening effect of laccase on dough was decreased. In combined laccase and xylanase treatments in gluten doughs, similar decreases in laccase-mediated hardening were not seen.     

Effect of Barley and Barley Components on Rheological Properties of Wheat Dough

The effects of addition of whole barley and barley components (starch, β-glucans and arabinoxylans) on rheological properties of dough prepared from wheat flours with variable gluten quality (cv. Glenlea, extra-strong; cv. Katepwa, very strong; cv. AC Karma, strong; and cv. AC Reed, weak) were investigated in these studies using Mixograph and dynamic rheological measurements. Whole barley meal, starch and non-starch polysaccharides from hulless barley with variable starch characteristics (normal, high amylose, waxy, and zero amylose waxy) were tested. Upon addition of either β-glucans or arabinoxylans, significant increases in peak dough resistance, mixing stability, and work input were recorded in all flours. The addition of starch to various wheat flours reduced the strength of the respective flour-water doughs. The improvement of dough strength upon addition of waxy or zero amylose waxy barley meal was associated with the high content of total and soluble β-glucans present in barley samples. The addition of arabinoxylans or β-glucans increased the G′ of wheat doughs; arabinoxylans had a greater effect than β-glucans. Starch substantially decreased the elastic modulus of dough prepared from cv. Glenlea but waxy and high amylose starches increased the G′ of dough prepared from cv. AC Karma. A combination of the high amounts of non-starch polysaccharides and unusual starch characteristics in barley seems to balance the negative effects associated with gluten dilution brought about by addition of barley into wheat flour.     

The Role of Gluten Proteins in the Baking of Arabic Bread

Fractionation and reconstitution/fortification techniques were utilised to study the role of gluten in Arabic bread. Glutens from two wheat cultivars of contrasting breadmaking quality were fractionated by dilute HCl into gliadin and glutenin. Gluten, gliadin and glutenin doughs from the good quality flour had higher G ′ and lower tan δ values than those from the poor quality flour at all the frequencies examined. Interchanging the gliadin and glutenin fractions between the reconstituted flours showed that the glutenin fraction is largely responsible for differences in the breadmaking performance. Fortification of an average quality flour with the gliadin and glutenin fractions from the poor and good quality flours, at the levels of 1% and 2% (protein to flour mass), induced marked differences in the mechanical properties of bread. The resilience of the loaves was not adversely affected by the addition of gliadins and increased, with a concomitant significant (p<0·05) improvement in quality, at the 2% level of fortification with gliadins from the good quality flour. Addition of glutenin resulted in loaves with leather-like properties that became particularly apparent at the higher level of fortification; the observed deterioration in quality paralleled the increase in the elastic character of the doughs. It is suggested that highly-elastic doughs are not compatible with the rapid expansion of gases at the high-temperature short-time conditions employed in the baking of Arabic bread and that there exists a threshold in dough elasticity beyond which a rapid decline in quality takes place.     

Distribution and function of LMW glutenins,HMW glutenins,and gliadins in wheat doughs analyzed with ‘in situ’ detection and quantitative imaging techniques

The different gluten subunits, gliadins, LMW glutenins, and HMW glutenins have been reported to play different key roles in different type of wheat products. This paper studied the interaction between gliadin, LMW and HMW glutenins in soft, hard and durum semolina flour doughs during different stages of mixing. In order to see how do the gluten subunits (gliadin, LMW glutenin and HMW glutenin) redistribute during mixing, dough samples were taken at maximum strength and 10 min after maximum strength. The doughs have been mixed with the same level of added water (55%), therefore they all have different strengths values due to their changes in proteins content. Oscillatory rheological measurements were performed on the doughs. It has been found that HMW glutenins are relatively immobile because of their less molecular mobility and do no redistribute themselves especially at high strength for doughs such as hard wheat flour. LMW glutenins and gliadins on the other hand redistribute themselves at even at high dough strengths forming a more stable network. In weaker doughs such as soft wheat, the breakdown of the three proteins subunits is responsible for the decay in dough strength. We have also visualized how the greater amount of LMW glutenins in semolina is in constant interaction with HMW glutenins and gliadins allowing the dough to maintain a stable strength for an extended mixing time. Finally, we have found the ‘in situ’ detection and quantitative analysis techniques to be more sensitive to the changes occurring in the gluten network of the dough than the oscillatory rheological analysis.     

Modification of the rheological behavior of amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) dough

For people with celiac disease, a lifelong abdication of gluten including-products is necessary to live a life without celiac affected reactions. The production of high-quality bread from gluten free flour is not simple in comparison to gluten including flours such as those derived from wheat (Triticum spp.). The gas binding and crumb structure forming capacity are very low in gluten free batters. They can efficiently be analyzed through the rheological properties of the dough used. The use of acidification in amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) dough preparation is a possible means of changing the rheological behavior of amaranth in the desired direction. Methods include the use of lactic acid directly, or the fermentation via lactic acid bacteria. Adding up to 20 mL lactic acid/kg flour in amaranth dough preparation led, during oscillation tests, to an increase of the complex shear modulus up to 30% in the range of 0.1 up to 10 Hz. The use of sourdough fermentation decreased the complex shear modulus in the same test up to nearly 60%. In creep recovery tests, the elastic part of amaranth dough decreased from 65.4% without any treatment down to 63.9% by the addition of up to 20 mL lactic acid/kg flour. Sourdough fermentation by Lactobacillus plantarum was able to decrease it to 54%. The acidification showed a significant positive influence on the rheological parameters of amaranth dough only at the higher stress level. In contrast, sourdough fermentation was able to produce doughs with viscosity and elasticity similar to that found in pure wheat flours.     

Comparison of quality of refined and whole wheat tortillas

The use of whole wheat flour instead of refined flour significantly improves the nutritional profile of flour tortillas. However, whole and refined flours differ in properties and in how they process, thus needing process modifications to get the desired product quality. To understand these differences, refined and whole wheat flours, dough and tortillas were evaluated and compared for physical and rheological properties. Overall, whole wheat flour required more water (59% of flour weight) than refined wheat (53%) to make machineable dough. Refined flour doughs were more extensible and softer than whole wheat flour doughs, thus easier to process. Whole wheat flour tortillas were larger, thinner and less opaque than refined flour tortillas. In general, refined wheat tortillas were more shelf-stable than whole wheat tortillas. Smaller particle size and less fiber in the refined wheat flour mainly contributed to the observed differences. Among the whole wheat samples, tortillas from strong flours had excellent shelf-stability, which must be considered when whole wheat tortillas are processed. This will minimize the need to add vital wheat gluten or other dough strengtheners.     

Grain of high digestible,high lysine (HDHL) sorghum contains kafirins which enhance the protein network of composite dough and bread

The aim of this study was to determine whether protein body-free kafirins in high digestibility, high-lysine (HDHL) sorghum flour can participate as viscoelastic proteins in sorghum-wheat composite dough and bread. Dough extensibility tests revealed that maximum resistance to extension (g) and time to dough breakage (sec) at 35 °C for HDHL sorghum-wheat composite doughs were substantially greater (p < 0.01) than for normal sorghum-wheat composite doughs at 30 and 60% substitution levels. Functional changes in HDHL kafirin occurred upon exceeding its T_g. Normal sorghum showed a clear decrease in strain hardening at 60% substitution, whereas HDHL sorghum maintained a level similar to wheat dough. Significantly higher loaf volumes resulted for HDHL sorghum-wheat composites compared to normal sorghum-wheat composites at substitution levels above 30% and up to 56%, with the largest difference at 42%. HDHL sorghum-wheat composite bread exhibited lower hardness values, lower compressibility and higher springiness than normal sorghum-wheat composite bread. Finally, HDHL sorghum flour mixed with 18% vital wheat gluten produced viscoelastic dough while normal sorghum did not. These results clearly show that kafirin in HDHL sorghum flour contributes to the formation of an improved protein network with viscoelastic properties that leads to better quality composite doughs and breads.     

Dough and bread made from high- and low-protein flours by vacuum mixing: Part 1: Gluten network formation

The effects of reduced headspace pressure on the development of gluten network in doughs made from both high-protein flour (HPF) and low-protein flour (LPF) were investigated. The effect of vacuum mixing was found to be dependent on both flour-type and mixing-time. A significant increase in dough extensibility was observed when the HPF dough was mixed under moderate vacuum of −0.04 MPa for 3 min as compared to the one mixed under atmospheric pressure for the same duration. This was attributed to the formation of a more extensive gluten network associated with an increased disulphide bond density and a significantly higher β-sheet to β-turn ratio. On the other hand, over-mixing was observed in the LPF dough that was mixed for 5 min under atmospheric pressure. Applying moderate vacuum of −0.04 MPa allowed the LPF dough to withstand longer mixing time, as indicated by its increased disulphide bond density and biaxial extensibility compared to the control dough mixed under atmospheric pressure. Results of this study suggest the potential of applying vacuum to reduce the mixing time required for high protein flour and to prevent the over-mixing of low protein flour.     

A suspension model of the linear viscoelasticity of gluten doughs

We regard gluten dough as a mixture of gluten, starch and water. We show that stress intensification around the starch particles enables one to describe the rapid strain softening of dough at low strains. The starch is in the form of a combination of A-particles (close to oblate spheroids) and B-particles (almost spherical). This suggests that a suspension theory should be able to account for the linear viscoelastic properties of doughs. We develop a new representation for the prediction of the linear viscoelastic properties of a viscoelastic matrix (gluten) with embedded oblate spheroids and spherical particles. The calculations are compared with experiments on gluten mixes derived from an Australian Baker’s flour. We note that the non-sphericity of the A-particles is very important in stiffening the gluten matrix and also that the effective volume fraction of the starch is greater than that calculated by assuming a starch density of 1.4 g/ml.     

超绿活性茶粉对不同筋度小麦粉面团流变学特性的影响

将超绿活性茶粉(Ultra-green Active Tea Powder,UGA-TP)添加到低筋粉、中筋粉、高筋粉中,加水形成小麦粉面团,利用粉质仪、拉伸仪测定含超绿活性茶粉的不同筋度小麦粉面团流变学特性。研究结果表明:超绿活性茶粉的添加可以提高小麦粉面团吸水率、面团形成时间和面团稳定时间,含茶低筋粉和中筋粉面团与空白面团样品相比,在醒发时间45、90、135 min时,拉伸曲线面积、拉伸阻力、拉伸比例显著增加,延伸度显著下降;其中超绿活性茶粉对低筋粉的影响最大,主要表现为添加超绿活性茶粉后,低筋粉面团吸水率显著增大2.9%,面团形成时间显著增加8.7 min,面团稳定时间显著增加19.2 min;以醒发45 min为例,拉伸曲线面积从76 cm2显著增大到134 cm2,拉伸阻力从300 BU显著增大到645 BU,拉伸比例从2.1显著增大到4.9,延伸度从142显著下降到131。综合得出超绿活性茶粉的添加对不同筋度小麦粉的加工性能均有改善效果,其中对低筋小麦粉改善的效果最大。     

面筋蛋白对小麦粉理化性质及面包烘焙品质的影响

为明确不同类型小麦的面粉改良方案,为我国优质面包专用粉的生产提供理论与技术支持,以三个筋力不同的小麦品种宁麦13、扬麦16和郑麦9023为材料,通过洗面筋法提取各供试材料的湿面筋,将其冷冻干燥后按照7%、8%、9%、10%、11%的添加比例与各自面粉进行配比,对配粉的面包烘焙品质、面粉理化性质和面团流变学特性进行了测定分析。结果发现,随着面筋蛋白添加量的提高,配粉的蛋白质、湿面筋、谷蛋白大聚体(GMP)含量和沉降值逐步上升;粘度参数和面团弱化度有所下降;糊化温度和糊化时间呈上升趋势。在同一添加量下,强筋小麦的烘焙品质和面粉理化性质始终优于中筋小麦和弱筋小麦。随着面筋蛋白添加量的提高,面包体积、弹性、回复性、内聚力增大,而硬度、咀嚼性减小,感官品质得到改善。面筋蛋白添加量超过一定范围(宁麦13、扬麦16添加9%,郑麦9023添加8%),面包品质改良效果变缓,且色泽不断加深。综上所述,适量添加面筋蛋白可改变面粉的理化性质,提高其面包烘焙品质;配粉的蛋白质含量为18%左右是最经济的面包烘焙品质改良方案。