Depolymerisation and re-polymerisation of wheat glutenin during dough processing .1. Relationships between glutenin macropolymer content and quality parameters

The protein content and the content of protein-related parameters of both flour and dough were related to the maximum resistance (R(max)) and extensibility (E) of dough, as determined in a Brabender Extensograph, and to loaf volume. The glutenin macropolymer (GMP) content of flour and dough was more strongly related to R(max) than protein content or the content of the group of Osborne fractions (glutenin, gliadin, albumin/globulin). Within each group of protein-related parameters, the contents of the Osborne glutenin fractions explained the variation in all quality parameters better than the contents of the gliadin or albumin/globulin fraction. The GMP content of dough after 45 min rest was more strongly related to R(max) whereas the GMP content of flour was more strongly related to E and loaf volume. This demonstrates that, during mixing and resting of dough, changes occur in the GMP that are important for R(max) but not for E or loaf volume. Although limited numbers of wheat cultivars (15), harvest gears (2), flour blends (8) and resting times (3) were investigated, the relationship between the GMP content of dough and R(max) was independent of these variables. (C) 1996 Academic Press Limited