The various molecular rearrangements induced on macromolecules during individual steps of pasta making were studied through a combination of methodologies. The main focus of this presentation will be on changes related to the use of various drying conditions, and on how they affect textural and sensory properties of the cooked product, and water distribution and mobility. Structural rearrangements in the protein components due to different drying conditions of pasta were addressed by solid-state spectroscopic approaches, by conditional solubility studies, by measuring thiol accessibility in the presence/absence of denaturants, and by using hydrophobic probes to assess rearrangements in non-covalent intra- and interprotein interactions. NMR imaging (MRI) was used to study water distribution and water mobility in differently dried pasta samples either before cooking or during cooking as a function of cooking time. Results from MRI studies pointed out the role of drying conditions for establishing appropriate gradients of water mobility in the cooked products, which were in turn related to the sensory properties. Information on changes in the organization of starch was derived from microviscoamylographic studies, providing indication that starch also plays a role in establishing the products’ properties. For this reason, we are developing approaches based on the analysis of products generated by purified hydrolytic enzymes acting specifically on 1-4 and 1-6 glycosidic bonds. These approaches may represent a useful tool also for investigating the relationship between molecular and textural/sensory properties in pasta products where components other than gluten ensure the solidity of the macromolecular network.
A molecular view of individual processing steps in pasta making
Marengo M;
2012-01-01
Abstract
The various molecular rearrangements induced on macromolecules during individual steps of pasta making were studied through a combination of methodologies. The main focus of this presentation will be on changes related to the use of various drying conditions, and on how they affect textural and sensory properties of the cooked product, and water distribution and mobility. Structural rearrangements in the protein components due to different drying conditions of pasta were addressed by solid-state spectroscopic approaches, by conditional solubility studies, by measuring thiol accessibility in the presence/absence of denaturants, and by using hydrophobic probes to assess rearrangements in non-covalent intra- and interprotein interactions. NMR imaging (MRI) was used to study water distribution and water mobility in differently dried pasta samples either before cooking or during cooking as a function of cooking time. Results from MRI studies pointed out the role of drying conditions for establishing appropriate gradients of water mobility in the cooked products, which were in turn related to the sensory properties. Information on changes in the organization of starch was derived from microviscoamylographic studies, providing indication that starch also plays a role in establishing the products’ properties. For this reason, we are developing approaches based on the analysis of products generated by purified hydrolytic enzymes acting specifically on 1-4 and 1-6 glycosidic bonds. These approaches may represent a useful tool also for investigating the relationship between molecular and textural/sensory properties in pasta products where components other than gluten ensure the solidity of the macromolecular network.
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