Cereal Chem 59:291 - 296.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Isomeric Ascorbic Acids and Derivatives of L-Ascorbic Acid: Their Effect on the Flow of Dough.

D. W. Lillard, P. A. Seib, and R. C. Hoseney. Copyright 1982 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Using the spread ratio test, L-ascorbic acid (L-AA) retarded the flow of a nonyeasted dough immediately after mixing and was even more effective after a lay period of 60 min at 30 C. On the other hand, D- ascorbic, L-isoascorbic, and D-isoascorbic acids increased dough flow out of the mixer and give little or no retardation of flow with increased lay time. Dehydro-L-ascorbic acid and reductic acid gave the same effect as L-AA on the spread of dough. Adding the dehydro form of the other three acids at the dough mixer immediately reduced dough flow but produced no further time-dependent retardation. The 2- and 3-methyl ethers of L-AA did not affect the flow of dough; the 6-bromo- and 5,6-acetonated derivatives gave some retardation. Dehydro-D-isoascorbic acid completely stopped the increase in dough flow caused by addition of cysteine. These results indicate that when L-AA is added to a dough, the immediate reduction in dough flow is due to oxidation of thiol compounds in the water-soluble fraction of wheat flour by dehydro-L- ascorbic acid. Dehydro-L-ascorbic acid is formed by air oxidation of L-AA during dough mixing. The mechanism of the time-dependent retardation of dough flow remains unknown.