Wheat or Wheat

Soft Wheat and Durum Wheat

See also: wheat starch, wheat muscle; wheat germ

In nature there are different types of wheat; the most used are two: the Triticum durum (or durum wheat) and the Triticum vulgare (or soft wheat). Although the two plants are very similar on a structural level, they are not simply two different varieties, but two distinct species (durum wheat has 28 chromosomes, while soft wheat has 42).

Durum wheat is used to obtain semolina, with which industrial dry pasta is prepared (it is no coincidence that the wording "semolina pasta" is written on the package) and some types of bread (such as that of Altamura).

By law, the term flour must be applied exclusively to the product obtained by grinding soft wheat; with semolina, on the other hand, we mean the product of grinding durum wheat. For other flours, such as corn, it is necessary to specify the origin on the label (corn flour, oat flour, etc.).

Structure of the caryopsis

The fruit of the wheat, called caryopsis, is entirely covered by a fibrous pericarp; it is an external envelope, made up of several layers of cells rich in cellulose and mineral salts; this part, after the milling process, constitutes the bran.

Below the pericarp there is a single-celled layer, made up of large, cubic-shaped cells; this portion is called the aleuronic layer and separates the heart of the caryopsis from the external integuments. From a nutritional point of view, the pericarp is particularly rich in nutrients, such as proteins, lipids, vitamins and mineral salts; however it is particularly small in quantitative terms and, above all, is lost during the milling process. On one side of the caryopsis we then find the germ or embryo, the portion that gives rise to the new plant when sown in the ground; also this part is removed during the milling process, as it is particularly rich in proteins and above all in lipids (the famous wheat germ oil is widely used in the dietetic and cosmetic sector). Most of the caryopsis is occupied by the amyliferous endosperm or albumen, a reserve tissue rich in starch granules and proteins. It is from this portion that the flour and semolina intended for food use are obtained.

Nutritional values

It can vary in relation to various factors, such as the variety of wheat, the climate, the cultivation techniques (conventional, organic, etc.), the type of soil on which it is cultivated and the nitrogen contributions (fertilization).

WATER (8 - 18%)
GLUCIDES (72%), of which:

STARCH (60 - 68%)
PENTOSANS (6.5%), non-fermentable aldopentosis polymers
CELLULOSE AND LIGNIN (2 - 2.5%) located in the outermost layers and therefore absent in white flour
REDUCING SUGARS (1.5%) (dextrins and glucose that derive from starch demolition processes; this is a small but extremely important percentage, because it is used by yeast as nourishment to operate the metabolic process that leads to the leavening of the " dough).

PROTEINS (7-18%): based on their solubility in water they are divided into four classes, common to all types of cereals (albeit in different ratios):

ALBUMINS (9%): they are mainly found in the aleurone layer and in the germ, both removed during the milling process (they are therefore absent in traditional flour); these are proteins with a high biological value, especially rich in lysine, proline, leucine and glutamine.
GLOBULINS (5-7%): they are found in the germ, which is however removed (also from wholemeal flour) because it is rich in lipids and as such subject to rancidity; they also have a high biological value and are rich in lysine, arginine, serine and cysteine.
GLUTELIN and PROLAMINS (75 - 95%): abound in the amyliferous endosperm; in wheat the glutelines are called glutenins, while the prolamines are called gliadins. Although they are abundant from a quantitative point of view, they are scarce in terms of quality, as rich in cysteine, proline and glycine, but low in lysine and methionine, which represent the limiting amino acids of cereals. This requires the "combination with protein foods, such as cheese, meat, eggs or legumes (which have amino acid composition" incomplete ", but complementary to that of cereals).

The glutelines and prolamines of wheat are very important from a technological point of view, since when the flour is hydrated and kneaded, they interact with each other, forming a three-dimensional network called gluten.

LIPIDS: they are mainly localized in the germ and include triglycerides (rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which represent from 80 to 84% of the acidic fraction) and small quantities of phospholipids, glycolipids and sterols (sitosterol and campesterol).
MINERAL SALTS (1.5 - 2%): located mainly in the external integuments, therefore in the pericarp, they include magnesium and potassium phosphates, calcium, iron, copper and zinc salts

VITAMINS: vitamins of group B (at the level of the aleuronic layer) and vitamin E (more abundant in the germ).
ANTINUTRITIONAL FACTORS: phytic acid, abounds in the pericarp and chelates the divalent metals (calcium, iron, copper, magnesium and zinc) reducing their absorption.

COMPOSITION OF WHEAT CARYOSSIDE AND ITS ANATOMICAL REGIONS

(average values ​​- g / 100g of dry matter)

Anatomical region of the wheat kernel

Percentage of the kernels
Starch and other carbohydrates
(%)

Protein (%)

Lipids (%) Cellulose
Hemicellulose
Pentosans (%)
Mineral substances
(%) Integuments 9,0 14,0 12,8 2,4 65,2 5,6 Aleuronic layer 8,0 12,0 32,0 8,0 38,0 10,0 Germ 3,0 20,0 38,0 15,0 22,0 5,0 Endosperm 80,0 83,0 11,0 3,0 2,0 1,0

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