title: Redox agents and N-ethylmaleimide affect protein polymerization during laboratory scale dry pasta production and cooking.
abstract: Durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) semolina gluten proteins consist of monomeric gliadin and polymeric glutenin and determine the quality of pasta products made therefrom. During pasta drying, glutenin starts polymerizing already below 60 °C (65% relative humidity (RH)), whereas gliadin only is incorporated in the protein network at temperatures exceeding 68 °C (68% RH) through thiol (SH)/disulfide (SS) exchange reactions. Removal of free SH groups in glutenin by adding 2.3 μmol KBrO3 or KIO3 per g dry matter semolina protein (g protein) or 13.8 μmol N-ethylmaleimide/g protein reduces gliadin-glutenin cross-linking during pasta drying and/or cooking and yields cooked pasta of high quality. Introducing free SH groups by adding 13.8 μmol glutathione/g protein increases gliadin-glutenin cross-linking during pasta processing, resulting in cooked pasta of lower quality. We hypothesize that too much gliadin incorporation in the glutenin network during pasta processing tightens the protein network and results in lower cooking quality.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry and Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Leuven, Belgium. Electronic address: charlotte.bruneel@kuleuven-kulak.be.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bruneel
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry and Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Joke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buggenhout
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry and Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lagrain
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry and Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kristof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brijs
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Biochemistry and Leuven Food Science and Nutrition Research Centre (LFoRCe), KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Jan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Delcour
mesh_terms: D003296:Cooking; D005033:Ethylmaleimide / Q000737:chemistry*; D063427:Food Quality; D005903:Gliadin / Q000737:chemistry*; D005983:Glutens / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D058105:Polymerization; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D005983:Glutens; D005903:Gliadin; C037302:glutenin; D005033:Ethylmaleimide
keywords: Cooking quality; Gliadin–glutenin cross-linking; N-Ethylmaleimide; Pasta drying; Protein network; Protein polymerization; Redox agents