Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 10, 2026

07:10
Untargeted Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics Analysis of Wheat Grain
Published on: March 13, 2020
10.9K
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Based Protein Assay for Cereal Samples.
Banu Sezer1, Gonca Bilge1, Ismail Hakki Boyaci1
1Department of Food Engineering, Hacettepe University , Beytepe 06800, Ankara, Turkey.
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
|December 15, 2016
Summary
Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) offers a rapid and reliable alternative for determining protein content in wheat. This new method analyzes nitrogen peaks, providing accurate results comparable to traditional techniques but with significantly reduced analysis time.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Spectroscopy
Background:
- Protein content is crucial for cereal quality, impacting price, nutrition, and labeling.
- Traditional methods like Kjeldahl and Dumas are time-consuming and have limitations.
- There's a need for faster, reliable, and eco-friendly protein analysis techniques.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel method for protein analysis in wheat flour and whole meal.
- To utilize laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for rapid protein quantification.
- To compare LIBS results with the standard Dumas method.
Main Methods:
- Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was employed for elemental analysis.
- Nitrogen emission peaks in LIBS spectra were correlated with protein content.
- Chemometric methods were used to analyze spectral data and build calibration models.
- Results were validated against the standard Dumas method.
Main Results:
- LIBS demonstrated a strong linear correlation (R² = 0.992) between nitrogen peaks and protein content (7.9–20.9%).
- The method achieved a low limit of detection (0.26%) for protein.
- LIBS analysis time was considerably shorter than conventional methods.
Conclusions:
- LIBS is a highly sensitive and reliable technique for routine protein analysis in wheat flour and whole meal.
- The developed LIBS method offers a faster, simpler, and potentially more environmentally friendly alternative.
- LIBS shows significant promise for high-throughput protein analysis in cereal industries.

