Cereal Chem 55:168 - 179.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Phase Equilibria and Structures in the Aqueous System of Wheat Lipids.

T. Carlson, K. Larsson, and Y. Miezis. Copyright 1978 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

The phase behavior of the aqueous system of lipids extracted from wheat flour (Amy) is described. The phase relations are illustrated in a ternary phase diagram water/polar lipids/nonpolar lipids. The structures have been characterized by X-ray diffraction. At low water content [up to about 15% (w/w)] a liquid crystalline phase of inversed hexagonal type is formed, and at a water content of about 15-50% (w/w) a lamellar liquid crystalline phase exists. A unique feature in this system is the formation of a liquid lipid- water phase of so-called L2-type. It contains large amounts of water [about 75% (w/w)]. It is proposed that the structure is related to the lamellar liquid crystalline phase by a melting process so that only the long- range order is lost. In addition to these three lipid-water phases there also exists an oil phase (nonpolar lipids) and a water phase in large areas of the phase diagram. The functionality of wheat lipids is discussed in relation to the phase properties.