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Desirable wheat glycolipid routine analysis for the first time enables selection for a significant quality factor among bread quality hard wheat experimental cultivars. Prior to producing sufficient quantity of later generation experimental wheats to allow milling and baking, objective chemical testing of the protein and lipid components of the endosperm can make the wheat breeding process more efficient by earlier elimination of cultivars with inferior quality traits. Tandem mass spectrometric (MS–MS) analysis of digalactosyldiglycerides (DGDG) from total wheat endosperm lipid extract is now suitable as a routine desirable lipid ranking tool. This automated multistep technique eliminates time consuming fractionation, selective extraction, and chromatographic procedures of the past decades that resulted in limited capacity precluding extensive routine application.

Due to the absence of gluten, several challenges arise during gluten-free (GF) bread baking, affecting the mid-and-end-product quality. The main approach to overcome this issue is to combine certain functional ingredients and additives, to partially simulate wheat bread properties. In addition, the optimization of the baking process may contribute to improved product quality. A recent and very promising alternative to conventional baking is the use of ohmic heating (OH). Due to its volumetric and uniform heating principle, crumb development during baking and consequently bread volume is improved, which enhances the overall GF bread quality. Depending on the GF formulation, critical factors such as the electrical conductivity and viscosity of the batter may vary, which have a significant effect on the OH process performance. Therefore, this review attempts to provide a deeper understanding of the functionality of GF bread ingredients and how these may affect critical parameters during the OH processing.

Pre‐harvest sprouting (PHS) is a global issue affecting a multitude of crops, including wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The combination of conducive conditions and a lack of genetic seed dormancy results in the sprouting of intact grain at or prior to harvesting. The initiation of germination synthesizes gibberellic acid resulting in the activation of the alpha‐amylase synthesis via a calcium‐dependent signal transduction pathway. Alpha‐amylase synthesized via this pathway degrades the endosperm, decreasing bread‐making quality. A commonly used indicator for bread‐making quality is the Hagberg Falling Number. Environmental, phenotypic, genetic, and management factors influence the susceptibility of wheat to PHS. Rainfall, temperature, and relative humidity are commonly associated with PHS. The combination of these conditions results in the greatest severity of PHS. Morphological features such as awns and epicuticular waxes may increase the quantity of rainfall retained against the grain, increasing the risk of PHS. Similarly, management factors such as fertilization and fungicide application also may increase the risk of PHS occurring. Further research is necessary to understand the mechanisms and impact of management factors on PHS. Additionally, further investigations are needed to explore how environmental and genotypic interactions affect PHS susceptibility. Core Ideas Environmental, phenotypic, and management factors influence pre‐harvest sprouting (PHS) susceptibility of crops. The alpha‐amylase enzymatic pathway was uncovered, contributing to understanding the mechanisms controlling PHS. A research agenda has been developed to systematically address the gaps in the literature regarding PHS.

Grain, flour and bread quality parameters were investigated in one Polish and three Ukrainian triticale cultivars, selected as the most suitable for production of bread. The studies revealed large differences in some bread-making parameters. The farinographic parameters of the Ukrainian triticale cultivars were not worse than those of wheat, but the bread loaf volume was lower. The best triticale bread was obtained from the Polish cultivar Panteon, loaf volume and crumb porosity were the highest, in spite of weak results of the farinographic test. Reliability of parameters used for prediction of wheat bread quality in application to triticale is discussed. The laboratory baking is recommended for bakers, breeders and for cultivar testing as the safest method of the evaluation.

The aims of the present study are: (i) to verify the influence of different flour extraction rates and milling procedures on bread quality, (ii) to optimize the bread-making process by using different percentage and time of fermentation of three spontaneously developed type I sourdoughs. These latter were prepared with a whole-meal wheat flour blend (SA), a type 0 wheat flour blend (SB) both obtained by steel roll milling, and a type 2 wheat flour blend obtained by stone grinding (SC). The pH, total titratable acidity (TTA), and stability of the microbiota of the three sourdoughs were assessed before baking trials. TTA, specific volume, weight, crumb core moisture, texture, and global liking of sourdough bread, in comparison to control bread made with commercial baker’s yeast, were determined. Moisture, texture, and global liking of bread were also evaluated during 6 days of storage. SA was characterized by a significantly higher pH and TTA values than SB and SC. Differences in the LAB-to-yeast ratio were registered among the three sourdoughs although no differences were seen in terms of the dominant microbial community. Concerning breads, although the type 0 roll-milled wheat flour showed better dough rheological performance compared to whole-meal wheat flour and stone-ground wheat flour, sourdough fermentation positively affected the specific volume, texture, and global liking of bread manufactured with stone-ground wheat flour. Overall, for an efficient use of sourdough and bread quality improvement, optimal conditions need to be found by tailoring sourdough to the type of flour used.

Flour from old varieties are usually considered very weak flours, and thus difficult to use in breadmaking especially when processed as Italian “Tipo 2” flour. Hence, the aim of our study was to understand if agronomic treatments can be used to improve flour processability and the quality of three old wheat varieties. An experimental strip-plot scheme was used: three old wheat varieties (Andriolo, Sieve, Verna), two seeding densities, three levels of nitrogen fertilization (N35, N80, and N135), and two levels of foliar sulfur fertilization. Analyzed parameters related to kernel composition, dough rheology and bread quality. Sulfur and nitrogen treatments significantly affected protein composition and dough alveograph strength, which increased by about 34% with nitrogen fertilization, and by about 14% with the sulfur treatment. However, only nitrogen fertilization affected bread characteristics. Crumb density significantly decreased from N35 to N135, while springiness and cohesiveness increased. On the other hand, sulfur did not improve breads. This highlight the importance of performing breadmaking tests in addition to the rheological determinations. The poor technological performance of old wheat flours can be improved with agronomical treatments designed to obtain higher-quality bread.

Key messageAn expressed HMW glutenin subunit Glu-Ay showed positive impacts on a range of wheat processing quality and yield traits. The grain protein compositions are significantly optimised for baking, resulting in a better breadmaking quality.The unique breadmaking properties of wheat flour are related to the quality and quantity of high-molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) present in the grain. In the current study, the silent 1Ay HMW-GS allele, present in most bread wheat cultivars, was replaced by the expressed 1Ay21* allele, which was introgressed into Australian bread wheat cultivar Lincoln by a backcrossing and selfing scheme. Stability of gene expression and the effect of the introgressed 1Ay21* subunit on protein composition, agronomic traits, flour functionality, and breadmaking quality were studied using BC4F5 grain grown in glasshouse and field. Field phenotyping and grain quality testing showed that the 1Ay21* gene conferred significant improvements to a range of traits, including an increase in grain protein content by up to 9%, UPP% by up to 24%, bread volume by up to 28%. The glasshouse experiment and one of the field trials showed positive 1Ay21* effects on yield, while one field trial showed one significant effects. This indicates that expression of the 1Ay21* gene has the potential of simultaneously increasing protein content and grain yield under certain environment. The qualitative improvements of the grain also led to a reduction of the energy required during the baking process in addition to the significant positive effects on bread quality.

Nitrogen supply and post-anthesis temperature affect the protein distribution gradient in the wheat grain endosperm, as measured using a novel image analysis technique for light microscopy sections. Abstract Gradients exist in the distribution of storage proteins in the wheat (Triticum aestivum) endosperm and determine the milling properties and protein recovery rate of the grain. A novel image analysis technique was developed to quantify both the gradients in protein concentration, and the size distribution of protein bodies within the endosperm of wheat plants grown under two different (20 or 28 °C) post-anthesis temperatures, and supplied with a nutrient solution with either high or low nitrogen content. Under all treatment combinations, protein concentration was greater in the endosperm cells closest to the aleurone layer and decreased towards the centre of the two lobes of the grain, i.e. a negative gradient. This was accompanied by a decrease in size of protein bodies from the outer to the inner endosperm layers in all but one of the treatments. Elevated post-anthesis temperature had the effect of increasing the magnitude of the negative gradients in both protein concentration and protein body size, whilst limiting nitrogen supply decreased the gradients.

Resistant starches (RS) are important functional fibers with high potential for the development of healthy foods. The technological, nutritional, and commercial possibilities of introducing type 2 RS in white breads were studied. Four levels of maize RS (HM) as wheat flour replacement were evaluated: 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% (control, HM10, HM20, and HM30, respectively). Thermal transitions experiments were assessed on doughs prior to breadmaking. The bread quality was studied by specific volume, color of crust and crumb, porosity, and texture of the crumb. The microstructure of the crumb was analyzed by environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Proximate composition and in vitro starch digestibility were performed to characterize the nutritional profile of breads and estimate the glycemic index (GI). Consumer acceptability of breads was also evaluated. Breads with HM showed great performance up to 20% replacement in the specific volume, the crumb porosity, and the texture. Replacement up to 30% caused major damage to those parameters. Differential scanning calorimetry runs demonstrated that HM starch did not gelatinize under the baking conditions, as confirmed by ESEM. The presence of increasing levels of native starch is thought to have the greatest influence on reducing the crust browning, increasing the crumblier texture and decreasing starch digestibility. With respect to the control, a high and progressive reduction in the estimated GI and an outstanding increase of fiber with increasing levels of HM were found. The sensory evaluation of HM20 bread showed that this level of substitution has great consumer acceptance, giving it the chance to become a healthy substitute of white bread.

Cereal grains provide half of the calories consumed by humans. In addition, they contain important compounds beneficial for health. During the last years, a broad spectrum of new cereal grain-derived products for dietary purposes emerged on the global food market. Special breeding programs aimed at cultivars utilizable for these new products have been launched for both the main sources of staple foods (such as rice, wheat, and maize) and other cereal crops (oat, barley, sorghum, millet, etc.). The breeding paradigm has been switched from traditional grain quality indicators (for example, high breadmaking quality and protein content for common wheat or content of protein, lysine, and starch for barley and oat) to more specialized ones (high content of bioactive compounds, vitamins, dietary fibers, and oils, etc.). To enrich cereal grain with functional components while growing plants in contrast to the post-harvesting improvement of staple foods with natural and synthetic additives, the new breeding programs need a source of genes for the improvement of the content of health benefit components in grain. The current review aims to consider current trends and achievements in wheat, barley, and oat breeding for health-benefiting components. The sources of these valuable genes are plant genetic resources deposited in genebanks: landraces, rare crop species, or even wild relatives of cultivated plants. Traditional plant breeding approaches supplemented with marker-assisted selection and genetic editing, as well as high-throughput chemotyping techniques, are exploited to speed up the breeding for the desired genotуpes. Biochemical and genetic bases for the enrichment of the grain of modern cereal crop cultivars with micronutrients, oils, phenolics, and other compounds are discussed, and certain cases of contributions to special health-improving diets are summarized. Correlations between the content of certain bioactive compounds and the resistance to diseases or tolerance to certain abiotic stressors suggest that breeding programs aimed at raising the levels of health-benefiting components in cereal grain might at the same time match the task of developing cultivars adapted to unfavorable environmental conditions.