Quality Characteristics of Wholemeal Flour and Bread from Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum L subsp. durum Desf.) after Field Treatment with Plant Water Extracts

Abstract

The use of selected plant water extracts to control pests and weeds is gaining growing attention in organic and sustainable agriculture, but the effects that such extracts may exert on the quality aspects of durum wheat are still unexplored. In 2014, 5 plant water extracts (Artemisia arborescens, Euphorbia characias, Rhus coriaria, Thymus vulgaris, Lantana camara) were prepared and distributed on durum wheat cv Valbelice to evaluate their potential herbicidal effects. After crop harvesting, the major physicochemical and technological parameters of wholemeal flours obtained from each treatment were measured and compared with those from chemical weeding and untreated controls. A baking test was also performed to evaluate the breadmaking quality. In wholemeal flours obtained after the treatment with plant extracts protein and dry gluten content were higher than in control and chemical weeding. Wholemeal flours obtained after chemical weeding reached the highest Mixograph parameters, and that from durum wheat treated with R. coriaria extract demonstrated a very high α-amylase activity. We concluded that the treatments with plant water extracts may influence many quality traits of durum wheat. This occurrence must be taken into account in overall decisions concerning the use of plant extracts in pest and weed management practice.

Factors Affecting the Nutritional, Health, and Technological Quality of Durum Wheat for Pasta-Making: A Systematic Literature Review

“…It entails an ultra-fine grinding procedure that reduces the particle size of matrices, including bran fractions and kernels, enhancing the bioaccessibility of various compounds, including phenolic acids, the solubility of dietary fibre, and the bioavailability of digestible carbohydrates [ 124 ]. With regard to this point, when Martini et al 2018 [ 97 ] compared pasta produced with semolina and pasta obtained with micronised kernels, they discovered that the conventional method had a detrimental impact on both the overall antioxidant capacity and the concentration of phenolic acids, particularly during the milling process, as it is related with the removal of the outer layers of the kernels. In contrast, the authors were able to produce whole-wheat pasta that retained the number of antioxidant components even when cooked, thanks to the micronisation process.…”

Artichoke Industrial Waste in Durum Wheat Bread: Effects of Two Different Preparation and Drying Methods of Flours and Evaluation of Quality Parameters during Short Storage

“…Method B tended to oxidize the product first, consequently eliminating the typical green color of the fresh product and making the flour very similar to a wholemeal one [ 47 ], which could be more easily accepted by the consumer.…”

Use of Plant Water Extracts for Weed Control in Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum L. Subsp. durum Desf.)

“…A possible explanation could be that the retrieved yield differences are a consequence of the distribution of plant extract itself, rather than an effect exerted on weed biomass. An effect of R. coriaria extract on several quality parameters of durum wheat has been already assessed by previous experiments [26]. Further research is needed to explore these aspects.…”

“…The donor ("allelopathic") species used for the preparation of water extracts were chosen based on their assessed biological activity and the availability of plant biomass. Five donor plants (A. arborescens, R. coriaria, L. camara, T. vulgaris, and E. characias) were tested in the first year, whereas in 2016 the field trial was restricted to A. arborescens and R. coriaria, that had previously proved interesting inhibitory activity of seed germination, coupled with significant effects on some qualitative parameters of durum wheat [25,26].…”