Cereal Chem 67:81-84   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Factors Affecting the Oxidative Gelation of Wheat Water-Solubles.

A. M. Moore, I. Martinez-Munoz, and R. C. Hoseney. Copyright 1990 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Viscometry of wheat flour extracts was used to study factors contributing to oxidative gelation. Addition of hydrogen peroxide did not increase viscosity of dilute aqueous extracts of wheat flour but did increase viscosity of more highly concentrated aqueous extracts. Oxidant concentration was a critical factor for gelation. High levels of hydrogen peroxide reduced the increase in viscosity. Addition of ferulic acid, vanillic acid, and cysteine inhibited increases in viscosity. The mechanism of this oxidative gelation appears to be complicated and influenced greatly by the concentrations of the polysaccharide and the oxidant. Flour extracted with 95% enthanol gelled at a lower concentration than nonextracted flour. This suggestes that some unknown inhibiting factor is removed by extracting flour with ethanol.