Insights into the particle size, protein form, pasting and dough rheological properties of flour obtained from wheat grown at high and low altitude

Flours from four wheat varieties grown at high (similar to 3180 m) and low altitude (similar to 247 m) were compared for particle size distribution, protein composition (monomeric and polymeric), amino acids, pasting and dough rheological properties. High altitude wheat (HAW) flours showed greater proportion of large size particles and higher protein content, gluten, ash content and each category of gliadins and high molecular weight glutenins but revealed lower gluten index than low altitude wheat (LAW) flours. HAW showed higher extractable polymeric, unextractable monomeric proteins, pasting temperature, damaged starch and arabinoxylans while lower unextractable polymeric, extractable monomeric protein, paste viscosity, dough stability and development time than LAW flours. HAW flours from PBW725 and HD3086 showed higher concentration of total aromatic and lower of total sulphur amino acids than their counterpart LAW flour. Differences in flours characteristics of LAW and HAW were clearly due to differences in accumulation of protein, starch and arabinoxylans.