Wheat Flour Compound that Produces Sticky Dough: Isolation and Identification

Some wheats have a 1B/1R translocation and may produce flours that give sticky doughs, even with optimum mixing time and water absorption. Studies showed that the water-soluble fraction caused sticky dough. Dialysis experiments indicated that the responsible substance had low molecular weight. Ionic exchange showed it to be either neutral or negatively charged. Gel filtration chromatography indicated it was both carbohydrate and UV-absorbing. Saponification caused it to lose ability to cause sticky dough. The UV-absorbing material and the carbohydrate had to be linked for the compound to be active. HPLC mass spectrometry indicated the UV-absorbing fraction was ferulic acid and the carbohydrate was a hexose.