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Observations on the influence of refinement on functional characteristics of intermediate wheatgrass
A. GOLDSTEIN (1), M. Sattler (2), T. Schoenfuss (2) (1) University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, U.S.A.; (2) University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, U.S.A..

Intermediate wheatgrass (IWG, <i>Thinopyrum intermedium</i>) is a perennial crop in the<i> Triticae</i> tribe which has received attention due to its potential for development as a grain crop which provides sustainable environmental and nutritional benefits. IWG kernels are smaller than conventional wheat resulting in greater bran and fiber contents on a weight basis. As fiber plays a critical role within the baked product matrix, an understanding of the role of refinement is essential to optimize the functionality of IWG in baked products. Therefore, gluten (Brabender Glutopeak), dough (Brabender Farinograph and Kieffer Dough Extensibility Rig) and starch (Brabender Micro Visco-amylo-graph) functionality of bulk IWG from two crop years and growing locations at varying levels of refinement (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% bran content) were investigated with Hard Red Wheat (HRW) flour serving as a reference sample. IWG peak torque (PT) values determined by Glutopeak analysis varied by growing location, although uniformly decreased with increasing bran levels. HRW flour however displayed an opposite trend of increasing PT values with greater levels of bran addition. IWG and HRW exhibited greater Water Absorption values with increasing bran addition to attain optimal consistency, with IWG generally exhibiting greater water absorption, and lower development times and stability than HRW blends. Kieffer Dough Extensibility analysis revealed that IWG doughs displayed considerably lower resistance to extension compared to HRW dough. Additionally, IWG experienced greater relative decreases in extensibility with increasing bran content than HRW. Starch pasting temperatures increased for both HRW and IWG with increasing levels of bran, whereas peak viscosity values decreased with increasing bran addition, with IWG exhibiting lower peak viscosities than HRW.