The effects of high molecular weight glutenin subunits in wheat flours on soft- and hard-dough biscuit products quality

High molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) are the main wheat gluten proteins in flour that determine the viscoelastic properties of various types of dough. In this study, the effects of HMW-GS on various quality characteristics of certain soft wheat biscuit products were investigated. Results of the study showed that subunit 5x + 10y in the Glu-D1 locus increased the gluten strength of a flour and, consequently, negatively affected the physical and sensory properties of the resulting soft-dough biscuit products made with that flour. While product results suggested that the wheat genotypes carrying the allele 1 in Glu-A1 should be selected with care, in terms of biscuit sensory properties, the combination of the null allele in Glu-A1 and subunits 7 in Glu-B1 and 2x + 12y in Glu-D1 can lead to increased success of wheat breeding programs aimed at flours preferred for soft-dough biscuit products. For hard-dough biscuit products, subunit 2* can be used as a marker, in order to eliminate those soft wheat lines having too-high gluten strength. The combinations of HMW-GS 1, 7x + 9y, and 5x + 10y, along with the 1B/1R wheat-rye translocation, were considered to result in flours for production of hard-dough group biscuits. This study suggested that the most suitable HMW-GS combinations of wheat genotypes for soft- and hard-dough biscuit products. Those combinations considering wheat-rye translocation could be used for selection, or elimination, purposes in breeding programs targeting soft wheat varieties for specific baked products.