Cereal Chem 48:544 - 553.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
The Influence of Protein Composition on Spaghetti Quality.

D. E. Walsh and K. A. Gilles. Copyright 1971 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Research was conducted to establish the influence of protein composition on quality by investigating the proteins of eight wheat varieties which represented a wide range of spaghetti properties. Proteins from each wheat variety were separated by quantitative Maes column extraction and Sephadex G-200 gel-filtration chromatography into general classes (albumins, globulins, gliadins, glutenins, and base-solubles). To show relations between protein fractions and quality factors, analysis of variance and regression analysis of the data were conducted. The resulting correlation matrix indicated that protein composition was related (significant at the 1% level) to several spaghetti-quality factors. Poor spaghetti color was shown for varieties which had high albumin and glutenin contents. Moreover, high spaghetti firmness was associated with high glutenin but low gliadin contents. In addition, a new method for precise measurement of cooked spaghetti firmness was developed. To test for firmness, the shearing characteristics of cooked spaghetti were measured with a specially equipped Instron Testing Instrument. The work (g. x cm.) required to shear a single cooked spaghetti strand was used as a measure of firmness.