STUDY OF WHEAT PROTEIN DEGRADATION DURING GERMINATION

Abstract

Glutens, the storage proteins of cereals, play significant role in technological and nutraceutical quality of cereal grains. Whereas the high content of glutens allows making better structure of dough, consummation of foods with high gluten content can cause digestive problems. In our work, we studied ability of wheat proteases to degrade proteins, especially glutens. Wheat grains were germinated for up to seven days at three different temperatures 15, 20, 30 °C and pH 3.0, 4.0, 5.5, 7.0, 8.0. Proteins were fractionated into salt-soluble albumins and globulins, alcohol-soluble gliadins and base-soluble glutenins. In these fractions, protein content and their composition were analyzed by Bradford method and SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis). The results showed that remarkable degradation of glutens started after three days and the lowest concentration was measured at the seventh day of germination of wheat grain at temperature 20 °C, pH 5.5.