المستخلص: |
Asian noodles are among the world’s most consumed wheat products. There are three common groups of Asian noodles made from common bread wheats (Triticum aestivum) namely the white salted (traditional Japanese), yellow alkaline noodles (Cantonese, Hokkien and other Chinese types) and instant (ramen/ramyon) noodles. The noodle making methods for the three types of noodles have four common steps: mixing, sheeting, cutting and drying. The primary ingredient in noodle production is wheat flour. Therefore, the quality of the noodles depends on the quality of the wheat flour used among other factors. Research has shown that sprouting affects the quality of noodles since it causes the availability of the enzymes present during germination in the wheat flour. Among such enzymes is α-amylase whose primary function is to breakdown starch. The inclusion of alkaline salts in yellow alkaline noodles has several effects. It enhances the development of the desirable yellow color in noodles. It is not clear whether the enzyme (α-amylase) has profound effects in the degradation of noodle color. This project investigates the effect of high pH on the activity of the enzyme and relates findings to the color change in not only yellow alkaline noodles but also white salted noodles and instant noodles. The study shows that high pH strongly inhibits the activity of the enzyme thus; it is probable that other enzymes (apart from α-amylase) are responsible for the degradation of color in yellow alkaline noodles.
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