Factor Analysis of Relation between Wheat Flour Color and Element Contents, and Their Variables

Abstract

Factor analysis was employed to estimate the relations between hue of wheat flour and elemental contents. The first, third, and fifth factors were correlated with hue of wheat flour L* value or a*value. The first factor had a large loading dose of iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc, and phosphorous contents. This high loading dose of phosphorous content suggested a change in the amounts of elements bound to phytic acid, which is a phosphorous compound located in the aleurone layer. The main loading dose of the third factor was calcium content. The third factor also had a loading dose of phosphorous content, suggesting that calcium is combined with phytic acid. The fifth factor had a large loading dose of protein. These results suggested that the contents of protein and elements contained in flour vary due to different factors. The mineral contents of the flour samples used here may reflect the amount of aleurone layer that was mixed into the flour, and it is therefore, unlikely that any specific element was the direct factor for worsening of flour color. Thus, the development of a wheat cultivar with great milling quality with little aleurone layer contamination might be an efficient way to improve the hue of wheat flour.