Wheat Grain Tryptophan Content: A Direct Measure of Gluten Strength

Gluten protein makes 75-80 % of the total wheat protein and is of utmost importance mainly because of its unique visco-elastic properties which have significant role in development of various food products especially the baked ones. The quality of gluten protein is determined by its subunit (glutenin and gliadin) number and composition. To determine the effect of amino acid tryptophan on gluten strength and other quality parameters, a set of 34 bread wheat genotypes consisting of 19 lines and 15 checks were estimated in the present study. As per the results obtained, tryptophan, although present in low amounts in gluten, accords positively with gluten strength. Thus for researchers working on increasing the nutritional quality of wheat by increasing its essential amino acid content may attain a benefit of stronger gluten simultaneously. Therefore, the outcomes of this study hold application in improving wheat’s nutrition as well as processing quality.