Isolation and identification of a wheat flour compound causing sticky dough

Fractionation and reconstitution studies of a flour from 1B/1R wheat showed that the factor causing sticky dough was water soluble. In addition, these studies showed that enzymes and lipids in the flour were not responsible f or producing sticky dough. Dialysis experiments showed that the active comp onent was nondialyzable. Gel-filtration chromatography of the retentate fra ction showed that the substance causing sticky dough contained both a carbo hydrate and a UV-absorbing material. Treatment of the active fraction with base caused the fraction to lose its ability to cause stickiness. The UV-ab sorbing material and the carbohydrate fraction had to be covalently linked for the compound to be active. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and HPL C analysis showed that the UV-absorbing moiety was predominantly trans-feru lic acid, and the carbohydrate part was a glucose polymer. The glucose poly mer was not degraded by alpha-amylase but was degraded by lichenase, sugges ting that the glucose polymer was a mixed-linkage beta-glucan.