Variation and Correlation of Protein Molecular Weight Distribution and Semolina Quality Parameters for Durum Genotypes Grown in North Dakota

This research assessed variation of protein molecular weight distribution (MWD) parameters and their correlations with quality characteristics of semolina samples that were obtained from durum genotypes grown in North Dakota. Sodium dodecyl sulfate buffer extractable and unextractable proteins in semolina were analyzed for MWD by size‐exclusion HPLC with a microbore column. ANOVA indicated that quantitative variations of all the HPLC protein fractions were significantly (P < 0.001) influenced by growing environments. The extractable and unextractable gluten proteins correlated differently with semolina gluten characteristics. Both gluten index and mixograph classification showed positive correlations (P < 0.05) with unextractable polymeric proteins and negative correlations (P < 0.05) with extractable gliadins and polymeric proteins. Quantitative variations of gluten proteins greatly influenced spaghetti cooking characteristics. Specifically, cooked spaghetti firmness (CSF) had high and positive simple linear correlations (P < 0.001) with quantity of gluten proteins in both extractable and unextractable fractions. However, a qualitative MWD parameter, percentage of the extractable gliadins in total protein, had a negative genotypic correlation with CSF (r = –0.81, P < 0.01), whereas percentage of the unextractable polymeric proteins had a positive genotypic correlation (r = 0.75, P < 0.01). Those two MWD parameters also showed significant (P < 0.05) variations for genotypes, indicating that they might be useful for screening durum genotypes for pasta cooking quality.