Trigo biofortificado com zinco: caracterização tecnológica de cultivares

Abstract

The essential micronutrients deficiency in human organism, such as vitamin A, iron, iodine and zinc affects billions of people all over the world, mainly in developing countries and it is usually caused by the poor food variety diets, either due to lack of access or excessive amount consumption of industrialized and nutritionally poor food diet. The goal of this study was to quantify the Zn content in biofortified wheat grain cultivars in their flours, bran and wheat tortilla, in addition to that, classify the grains according to current legislation and evaluating the quality parameters of these products. The cultivars BRS 264, BRS 394 and BRS 404 from EMBRAPA and MGS 1 Aliança and MGS Brilhante from EPAMIG were studied in the control treatments, biofortification with Zn via soil and biofortification via foliar application, being milled to obtain wheat flour. Then, the milling yield, the physico-chemical characterization (moisture, proteins, ash, granulometry and fatty acidity), the wet and index gluten, the falling number, as well as the alveography and farinography properties of wheat flour were determined. The grains were classified and the wheat tortillas were elaborated and characterized in terms of moisture, color, weight, specific volume and texture. The grains, bran, flours and wheat tortillas had their Zn concentration determined. The results indicate a higher Zn content in the wheat grains and wheat brans of the cultivar BRS 264 and in the wheat flours of the cultivar BRS 394 and biofortification via foliar application increases the content of Zn in wheat brans. The cultivars have different breadmaking characteristics and the biofortification of wheat grains influences the water absorption capacity, enzymatic activity and the wet gluten content of the wheat flours. The cultivar BRS 264 is classified as domestic wheat, MGS 1 Aliança and MGS Brilhante are classified as bread wheat, while BRS 394 and BRS 404 are considered breeding wheat. Wheat tortillas have a Zn content about 5 times higher than conventional. Therefore, wheat is shown to be an important cereal in the study of biofortification as an alternative to increase Zn intake, however more studies are needed to establish the best strategies to combat micronutrient deficiency.