Study of Ancient and Modern Wheat Grain Textures, Physiochemical Properties, and Biscuit Quality

Pravinkumar Methe^1,2, Sonali Kawade^1,2 and Manoj Oak^1,2*

¹Genetics and Plant Breeding Group, Agharkar Research Institute, G. G. Agarkar Road, Pune, India.

²Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune, India.

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.12944/CARJ.12.2.24

Abstract:

We conducted a comprehensive study to investigate how different types of wheat affect the quality of biscuits. Our research included an ancient wheat variety called T. spherococcum, as well as present-day cultivated hard wheat varieties and soft wheat varieties (T. aestivum). We compared three hard wheat varieties (MACS6478, MACS2496, NI5439) and two soft wheat varieties (HS 490, NIAW3170) with ancient wheat (T. spherococcum) to analyze various aspects such as agronomic, grain and flour physicochemical, dough mixing, and biscuit quality parameters. Our results showed that soft wheat has a weaker association between starch and the protein matrix in the grain, leading to less starch damage, a lower particle size index (PSI), and higher flour recovery than hard wheat. Soft wheat flour also has lower gluten strength, a higher gliadin fraction, and decreased mixing resistance. Additionally, soft wheat flour has lower starch damage, which results in lower alkaline water retention capacity (AWRC) than hard wheat flour. These physiochemical findings helped us better understand how these traits related to biscuit quality. The study concluded that simple and fast physiochemical tests such as PSI, MST, AWRC, and flour protein content would help to select the best biscuit-quality wheat. These tests are quick and simple and do not need high-end sophisticated instruments. We also concluded that T. spherococcum was a hard wheat, and its flour physicochemical dough mixing properties were similar to that of hard wheat. It also produced inferior quality biscuits like hard wheat.

Keywords:

Biscuit; HMW-GS; Hard wheat; SDS PAGE; Soft wheat; Spread factor

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