Physicochemical characteristics of wheat treated with diatomaceous earth and conventionally stored

Abstract

Studies show the efficacy of the use of diatomaceous earth for insect control, however, lack studies on the effects of physical and chemical properties of wheat flour added diatomaceous earth. The aim of this study was to assess the physicochemical characteristics of wheat grains treated with increasingly higher dosages of diatomaceous earth and conventionally stored for a 180-day period. Samples containing 10 kg of wheat grains were treated with 0.0, 2.0 and 4.0 g kg-1 of diatomaceous earth and then conventionally stored. Analyses of grain hectoliter mass and ash content, as well as flour gluten content, flour color, alveography and farinography were performed at 0, 60, 120 and 180 days of storage. The experiment was carried out in a totally randomized design. The grain ash content and intensity of color component L* of wheat flour increase proportionally to the application of increasing doses of diatomaceous earth and longer storage periods. The grain hectoliter mass and values of +b* chromaticity coordinate, wet gluten content and gluten content in wheat flour diminish with the application of increasing doses of diatomaceous earth and longer storage periods. The gluten strength and dough stability of flour obtained from wheat grains without addition of diatomaceous earth increase with the storage period; this behavior was not observed in treatments with the application of 2.0 and 4.0 g kg-1 diatomaceous earth. The application of increasing doses of diatomaceous earth changes the physical and chemical characteristics of wheat grains stored, with consequent reduction of the flour technological quality.Pesquisas evidenciam a eficácia do o uso de terra de diatomáceas no controle de insetos, entretanto, faltam estudos sobre os efeitos das propriedades físicas e químicas de farinha de trigo adicionadas de terra de diatomácea. Neste trabalho, foram avaliadas as características físicas e químicas de grãos de trigo, tratados com doses crescentes de terra de diatomácea e armazenados no sistema convencional, pelo período de 180 dias. As amostras foram tratadas com terra de diatomácea nas doses de zero, 2,0 e 4,0 g kg-1 e armazenadas no sistema convencional. Nos períodos zero, 60, 120 e 180 dias de armazenamento, foram realizadas as análises de massa de hectolitro e cinzas de grãos de trigo; teor de glúten, cor, alveografia e farinografia da farinha de trigo. O experimento foi conduzido em delineamento inteiramente casualizado. O teor de cinzas do grão e a intensidade de cor do componente L* aumentam proporcionalmente com a aplicação de doses crescentes de terra de diatomácea e períodos de armazenamento. A massa de hectolitro e os valores da coordenada de cromaticidade +b*, teor de glúten úmido e índice de glúten da farinha, diminuem com doses crescentes de terra de diatomácea e períodos de armazenamento. A força de glúten e estabilidade da massa da farinha de trigo sem adição de terra de diatomácea aumentaram com o período de armazenamento. A aplicação de doses crescentes de terra de diatomácea altera as características físicas e químicas dos grãos de trigo armazenados com consequente redução da qualidade tecnológica da farinha de trigo.