Sulfhydryl analysis. II: Free sulfhydryl content of heated doughs from two wheat cultivars and effect of potassium bromate

The combined effects of heat and potassium bromate (KBrO 3 ) on the free sulfhydryl content of doughs prepared from two Australian commercial wheat flours were investigated. Flour derived from the cultivar Janz was not responsive to KBrO 3 in baking, whereas flour from the cultivar Oxley was responsive. Heating of dough samples with or without KBrO 3 caused a large decline in free sulfhydryls for both samples. Doughs prepared from each sample showed a significant loss of KBrO 3 during the heating protocol. Mixing alone caused a nearly 50% decline in the level of KBrO 3 from the quantity added. Results of this investigation indicate that although KBrO 3 had reacted during the period of heating, it was not directly linked to the decrease in free sulfhydryls