A chemical study of the development of the wheat grain

Abstract

The connection which has been shown to exist between the strength of wheat flour and the chemical individuality of the glutenine fraction of the wheat protein (Woodman, 1922) (1) led the writers to institute an enquiry into the manner in which the individual wheat proteins are developed and stored during the progress of the grain from the early stages after flowering to ripeness. The immediate object of the investigation was to secure information in regard to the stages at which the different proteins made their appearance in the grain and to determine at what point the character of the grain contents was such as to enable a tenacious gluten to be obtained by grinding up the kernels with successive quantities of dilute NaCl solution. It was also intended to follow the rate of alteration of the amounts of the several proteins during the growth of the grain and to attempt to elucidate as far as possible the relationships which exist between the simple and complex forms of nitrogen at the various stages.