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Cereal proteins: Fundamental understanding for processing applications.
F. BONOMI (1), A. Barbiroli (1), S. Iametti (1), M. Marengo (1), M. Miriani (1), M. A. Pagani (1). (1) University of Milan, DeFENS, Milan, Italy

Proteins in cereals display an almost unique ability at interacting among themselves and with proteins from other sources. Interactions occur through a variety of chemical bonds, but most notably through non covalent hydrophobic contacts and covalent disulfide bonds. Most of the storage proteins in cereals are considered to be intrinsically un-structured, but whatever structure they may have in the low-humidity environment in grains, it can be altered easily, thus contributing to explaining their versatility – and thus their popularity - in food and non-food applications. Typical processes promoting structural changes in cereal proteins begin with uptake of added water and continue through physical denaturation (mechanical and/or thermal), and may end with a dehydration step in the case of baked or dried products. The ensuing  structural changes result in the establishment of novel patterns of interactions among the involved proteins. The nature, extent, and significance of the structural changes affecting cereal proteins – as well as the specific involvement and relevance of individual protein species in any of them - is not easily addressed by commonly used molecular approaches. This presentation will use selected examples of cereal-based foods to discuss recent advances in the methodologies available for assessing structural changes occurring in proteins during processing of various foods, either based on a single type of grain, or where proteins from other sources (or other components) had been added for nutritional purposes. The relevance of molecular issues to other types of processing - such as those involved in non-food uses of gluten proteins - will be also discussed briefly, along with those molecular-based considerations that may help in the choice of suitable “texturizing” proteins in food systems where use of gluten has to be avoided.

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