Physicochemical properties and silicon content in wheat flour treated with diatomaceous earth and conventionally stored

This study was done to evaluate the physicochemical properties and to quantify the residual silicon in flour from wheat grains treated with different dosages of DE and stored in a conventional system for 180 days. Samples containing 10.0 kg of wheat grain were treated with 0.00, 2.00 and 4.00 g kg−1 of DE and then homogenized and stored in cotton bags at 22 °C and 70 ± 5 g 100 g−1 relative humidity. Physicochemical analyses were carried out at 0, 60, 120 and 180 days of storage. The experiment was conducted in a randomized design with a factorial 3 × 4 arrangement (three doses of DE × four storage periods), totaling 12 treatments, with three replicates for each treatment. The wheat flour samples were digested and the silicon residue quantification was conducted through colorimetry. The wheat treated with DE presented a lower test weight compared with control, +b∗ chromaticity coordinate for color and increased ash content and L∗. The physicochemical changes in the grain and wheat flour were proportional to the amount of DE applied.

► Wheat treated with diatomaceous earth had increased ash content and increased weight loss. ► Physicochemical alterations in wheat flour were proportional to the amount of diatomaceous earth. ► Silicon content affected the quality of wheat flour. ► The colorimetric method quantified silicon levels of diatomaceous earth in wheat flour.