Cereal Chem 49:62 - 67.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Solubilizing Effect of Mercuric Chloride on the "Gel" Protein of Wheat Flour.

D. K. Mecham, E. W. Cole, and H. Ng. Copyright 1972 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

After repeated extraction of flours with 0.01M acetic acid, much of the residual "gel" protein could be extracted by 0.04 mM. mercuric chloride in 0.01M acetic acid. With gel from a hard red winter wheat flour, 1 mmole of mercuric chloride solubilized more than 100 mmoles of protein N, or about 8 g. of gel protein. In seven flours, gel protein amounting to 12 to 28% of the total flour protein was solubilized; in general, the flours less stable to mixing yielded the smaller percentages of protein. The protein recovered by dialysis, concentration, and salt precipitation retained the rubbery cohesiveness typical of gluten; this would not be expected if significant rupture of disulfide bonds had occurred.