Despite the health benefits and numerous recommendations for increased whole grain consumption, the worldwide average intake is well below recommended levels which was recently identified as a primary contributor to poor dietary patterns responsible for 1 out of 5 deaths globally. Several factors account for the limited consumption of healthy whole grain foods being the flavor one of the most influential. The aim of this study was (1) to apply a targeted Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) chemical profiling (flavoromics) and sensory-guided approach to identify key compounds that impact consumer aroma liking of whole wheat bread and (2) to understand the influence of lipid oxidation enzymes in the inhibition of the aroma compounds formation. For the first aim, 16 bread samples were chemically profiled by GC-MS/MS and PLS models were developed to predict consumer acceptance (n = 97). Seven predictive compounds of highly liked breads were identified as Maillard reaction and fermentation products. Further recombination studies demonstrated predictive compounds increased aroma liking in a consumer panel. For the second aim, aroma-active compounds were identified through GC/MS-olfactometry in non-aged and aged (37 °C for 8 weeks) Lipase/Lipoxygenase knock-out (KO) and wild-sibling control (WS) wheat lines. Descriptive analysis (DA) of both whole wheat bread and aroma recombination model samples revealed a reduction of cardboard perception in the aged KO sample compared to the aged WS, which aligned with an observed suppression of lipid oxidation compounds. The inhibition of Lipase and Lipoxygenase KO also impacted the formation of compounds originating from the fermentation pathway which increased the perception of fermented/yeasty and fruity DA attributes. In summary, this work demonstrates the application of sensory-guided and targeted flavoromics approach to characterize pathways for flavor formation and identify drivers of liking. The application of this work involves the identification of a molecular target for breeding programs utilizing flavor-guided approaches as well as ingredient strategies to increase desired aroma compounds for flavor improvement of whole wheat products.

Whole wheat bread: Impact of enzymatic lipid oxidation and characterization of aroma drivers of liking

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ACS Fall 2022

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