Principal component analysis and correlation studies of spring wheats in relation to cookie making quality

ABSTRACT

Quality of cookies is profoundly influenced by the physicochemical and rheological properties of wheat grains. Therefore, it is pivotal to explore right choice of wheat cultivar. Current study was designed to gauge the relationship between wheat grain physiognomies and flour rheological behaviour with cookie characteristics. The outcomes depicted that selected wheat varieties varied significantly (p < 0.01) in various parameters like thousand kernel weight, test weight, pearling value, Pelshenke and zeleny value. In correlation, particle size index correlated negatively (r = −0.67) with protein content and positively with water absorption. Spread factor of cookies was influenced by particle size index (r = −0.63), Pelshenke (r = −0.62), water absorption (r = −0.60), and mixographic peak height (r = 0.85). Principal component analysis illustrated that thousand kernel weight, grain length, and width were major components in determining the water absorption of wheat flour. However, spread factor of cookies was partly depicted from Pelshenke value and partly from particle size index.

KEYWORDS:

• Correlation
• Particle size index
• Principal component analysis (PCA)
• Rheological characteristics
• Spread factor

Acknowledgments

The authors are obliged to Higher Education Commission (HEC) for providing full support in conducting this research and Wheat Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Punjab, and Wheat Research Institute Sakrand, Nawabshah, Sindh, for providing wheat varieties.