Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Crop Improvement and Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #330402
Title: Proteomics of wheat flour

Author
item Altenbach, Susan

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/30/2016
Publication Date: 4/7/2017
Citation: Altenbach, S.B. 2017. Proteomics of wheat flour. In: Colgrave, M.L., editor. Proteomics in Food Science: From Farm to Fork. 1st edition. London, England:Academic Press. p. 57-73.

Interpretive Summary: Wheat is a major food crop grown throughout the world. Wheat flour provides an important source of protein for human nutrition and is used as a principal ingredient in a wide range of food products, largely because wheat flour, when mixed with water, has unique properties that make it possible to produce doughs that can be stretched while remaining cohesive. These properties are conferred by a complex group of proteins in the flour. Certain proteins in wheat flour also are responsible for human health problems including allergies, food intolerances and sensitivities. This book chapter describes new methods for analyzing the flour proteins from wheat and discusses how this information can be used to improve the performance of the flour in food products and to reduce the likelihood that wheat flour will cause human health problems.

Technical Abstract: Wheat is a major food crop grown on more than 215 million hectares of land throughout the world. Wheat flour provides an important source of protein for human nutrition and is used as a principal ingredient in a wide range of food products, largely because wheat flour, when mixed with water, has unique viscoelastic properties that make it possible to produce a cohesive dough. The viscoelastic properties are conferred by a complex group of proteins accumulated in the grain during development and form the basis of wheat flour quality. Certain proteins in wheat flour also are responsible for human health problems including allergies, food intolerances and sensitivities. In recent years, proteomics methods have facilitated the detailed study of the wheat flour proteins and provided new insights into the molecular basis of flour quality and immunogenic potential.