[Reduction dynamics of S-S bonds in wheat gluten]

The new method of S-S bond determination was elaborated. It was based on the reduction of S-S bonds using 2-mercaptoethanol/ME/, the separation of the excess of ME using the Sephadex column and the application of ELLMAN's reagent for the determination of reduced SH groups. Using this method much higher contents of total S-S bonds, as well as of intermolecular ones could be observed, than by using Na2SO3 as a reducing agent. During the experiments on the reductivity of intermolecular S-S bonds in all investigated samples of gluten under the action of ME initially the increase of SH groups and then some steady state period could be noticed, in which no increase occurred, followed by further reduction. This means, that the one more type of S-S bonds, more accessible for the reducing agent of all may exist. It is suggested, that it can be the quaternary S-S bonds joining together separate molecules to form complexes able to disperse. As the observed "plateau" representing those bonds occurs at different level of the reduction percent and at the different time, after the reduction have been started, does the amount and strength of those bonds not influence the gluten quality.