Wheat Germ Protein Flour Solubility and Water Retention

The effects of pH and temperature on water retention (WR), protein solubility (PS), and total solubility (TS) of defatted wheat germ protein flour (WGPF) were studied in a model system. PS of WGPF was compared with those of corn germ protein flour (CGPF), soy flour (SF), nonfat dried milk (NFDM), and egg white powder (EWP) at 1–8%. WR increased with increase in pH from 4 to 8. Maximum WR occurred at 70°C, and slight variations were observed between 5 and 30°C. PS and TS increased with increases in pH and temperature. PS of proteins was in the order of NFDM > EWP > SF > CGPF=WGPF. The results showed the potential for usage of WGPF in comminuted meats, beef patties, breads, cakes, and cookies.     

Foaming Properties of Selected Plant and Animal Proteins

The foaming properties of proteins are important in predicting their fnnctionality in aerated foods. In model aqueous systems, foam expansion (FE) and foam stability (FS) of commercial plant proteins, wheat germ protein flour (WGPF), corn germ protein flour (CGPF), and soy flour (SF), were compared with those of nonfat dried milk (NFDM) and egg white powder (EWP) at 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8% using one- and two-way analyses of variance. The effects of pH 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 on FE and FS of WGPF were also measured. The highest overall FE and FS were obtained for EWP. Among plant proteins, FE and FS were maximum for CGPF and SF, respectively. FS was lowest for NFDM. Except for SF, FE and FS increased with increasing protein concentration. The FE and FS of WGPF were highest at pH 8, lowest at pH 7, and intermediate at pH 4–6.