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Water Absorption Capacity of U.S. Hard Red Spring Wheat: Contributions of Protein Composition, Starch, and Fiber
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Water Absorption Capacity of U.S. Hard Red Spring Wheat: Contributions of Protein Composition, Starch, and Fiber

Jayani Kulathunga, Yun Zhao, Andrew Green and Shahidul Islam
Food bioscience, Vol.78, 108542
2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2026.108542
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Published4.51 MBDownloadView
CC BY-NC V4.0,  Open Access

Abstract

Arabinoxylans Damaged Starch Dietary fiber HMW glutenin Polymeric proteins
Water absorption capacity (WAC) is a crucial quality attribute of wheat flour, directly influencing the end-product quality and commercial profitability. WAC is influenced by multiple factors related to grain composition and biochemical properties, regulated through complex mechanisms. These regulatory mechanisms may vary significantly among wheat classes and growing environments due to variations in trait expression. This study aimed to identify the key factors contributing to WAC in U.S.-grown Hard Red Spring (HRS) wheat, for which limited information is currently available. Fifty HRS wheat varieties grown at four locations in North Dakota, USA, were analyzed. WAC exhibited weak correlations with grain and flour protein contents (r = 0.36 and 0.25, respectively), vitreousness (r = 0.01), test weight (r = 0.25), and kernel weight (r = 0.34). Detailed biochemical and functional analyses of starch, protein, and fiber in six varieties with contrasting WAC values revealed significant positive contributions from high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (r = 0.78), unextractable polymeric proteins (r = 0.70), and damaged starch (r = 0.88). Conversely, total polymeric proteins (r = -0.80), the polymeric-to-monomeric protein ratio (r = -0.80), and the glutenin-to-gliadin ratio (r = -0.68) were negatively associated with WAC, while gliadin fractions showed no definitive effect. These findings suggest that optimizing protein composition, arabinoxylan, and dietary fiber content is more critical than total protein alone for improving WAC in HRS wheat. The results offer valuable insights for breeding programs aimed at enhancing wheat quality traits essential for milling efficiency and baking performance.

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