Abstract
BACKGROUND: Wheat germination increases α-amylase activity, leading to significant biochemical and structural changes that influence flour rheological properties. Understanding the correlation between internal kernel structure and flour rheology is essential for predicting processing performance and optimizing the use of germinated wheat in food applications. RESULTS: In this study, five selected Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat cultivars were germinated for up to 36 h. Germinated wheat kernels were used for microstructural analysis and whole wheat flour was used for rheological tests and enzyme assays. Germination induced structural degradation across all varieties, including crease widening and increased porosity after 24 h, with more pronounced changes at 36 h. α-Amylase activity increased significantly after 24 h, resulting in lower Falling Number and apparent viscosity values. Extended germination (36 h) also weakened gluten aggregation. Correlation analysis revealed strong links between microstructural and rheological properties, with outer layer thickness having the greatest influence. Total porosity was strongly negatively correlated with breakdown (r = -0.64) and peak maximum time (r = -0.64). Outer layer thickness showed even stronger negative correlations with peak maximum time (r = -0.84), peak viscosity (r = -0.82), and breakdown (r = -0.82). CONCLUSION: These results showed that extended germination altered wheat kernel structure and functionality, as evidenced by increased porosity, enhanced α-amylase activity, and reduced gluten aggregation capacity and flour viscosity. Among the structural features, outer layer thickness emerged as a key factor influencing flour rheology. © 2026 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Alpha-amylase activity increased significantly after 24 h of wheat germination.
- Taxon
- wheat
Triticum aestivumt0 - Treatment
- germinatione0
- Outcome
- α-Amylase activitye1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Qualifier
- after 24 he1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“wheat kernel microstructure and flour rheology”
e0“Wheat germination increases α-amylase activity”
e1“α-Amylase activity increased significantly after 24 h, resulting in lower Falling Number and apparent viscosity values”
Claim · model-written summary
Germination lowered Falling Number and apparent viscosity values.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- germinatione0
- Outcome
- Falling Number and apparent viscosity valuese1
- Direction
- lowere1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“wheat kernel microstructure and flour rheology”
e0“Wheat germination increases α-amylase activity”
e1“α-Amylase activity increased significantly after 24 h, resulting in lower Falling Number and apparent viscosity values”
Claim · model-written summary
Extended germination (36 h) weakened gluten aggregation.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Extended germination (36 h)e2
- Outcome
- gluten aggregatione2
- Direction
- weakenede2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“wheat kernel microstructure and flour rheology”
e2“Extended germination (36 h) also weakened gluten aggregation”
Claim · model-written summary
Germination increased kernel porosity after 24 h.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Germinatione3
- Outcome
- porositye3
- Direction
- increasede3
- Qualifier
- after 24 he3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“wheat kernel microstructure and flour rheology”
e3“Germination induced structural degradation across all varieties, including crease widening and increased porosity after 24 h”
Claim · model-written summary
Germination induced structural degradation of kernels, including crease widening.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Germinatione3
- Outcome
- structural degradatione3
- Direction
- inducede3
- Qualifier
- crease wideninge3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“wheat kernel microstructure and flour rheology”
e3“Germination induced structural degradation across all varieties, including crease widening and increased porosity after 24 h”
Claim · model-written summary
Total porosity was strongly negatively correlated with breakdown (r = -0.64).
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Total porositye4
- Outcome
- breakdowne4
- Direction
- strongly negatively correlatede4
- Value
- r = -0.64e4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“wheat kernel microstructure and flour rheology”
e4“Total porosity was strongly negatively correlated with breakdown (r = -0.64) and peak maximum time (r = -0.64)”
Claim · model-written summary
Total porosity was strongly negatively correlated with peak maximum time (r = -0.64).
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Total porositye4
- Outcome
- peak maximum timee4
- Direction
- strongly negatively correlatede4
- Value
- r = -0.64e4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“wheat kernel microstructure and flour rheology”
e4“Total porosity was strongly negatively correlated with breakdown (r = -0.64) and peak maximum time (r = -0.64)”
Claim · model-written summary
Outer layer thickness was negatively correlated with peak maximum time (r = -0.84).
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Outer layer thicknesse5
- Outcome
- peak maximum timee5
- Direction
- stronger negative correlationse5
- Value
- r = -0.84e5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“wheat kernel microstructure and flour rheology”
e5“Outer layer thickness showed even stronger negative correlations with peak maximum time (r = -0.84), peak viscosity (r = -0.82), and breakdown (r = -0.82)”
Claim · model-written summary
Outer layer thickness was negatively correlated with peak viscosity (r = -0.82).
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Outer layer thicknesse5
- Outcome
- peak viscositye5
- Direction
- stronger negative correlationse5
- Value
- r = -0.82e5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“wheat kernel microstructure and flour rheology”
e5“Outer layer thickness showed even stronger negative correlations with peak maximum time (r = -0.84), peak viscosity (r = -0.82), and breakdown (r = -0.82)”
Claim · model-written summary
Outer layer thickness was negatively correlated with breakdown (r = -0.82).
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- Outer layer thicknesse5
- Outcome
- breakdowne5
- Direction
- stronger negative correlationse5
- Value
- r = -0.82e5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“wheat kernel microstructure and flour rheology”
e5“Outer layer thickness showed even stronger negative correlations with peak maximum time (r = -0.84), peak viscosity (r = -0.82), and breakdown (r = -0.82)”
Claim · model-written summary
Outer layer thickness is a key structural factor influencing flour rheology.
- Taxon
- wheatTriticum aestivumt0
- Treatment
- outer layer thicknesse6
- Outcome
- flour rheologye6
- Direction
- influencinge6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“wheat kernel microstructure and flour rheology”
e6“Among the structural features, outer layer thickness emerged as a key factor influencing flour rheology”
The same questions in other papers
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