Distribution and location of ethanol soluble proteins (Osborne gliadin) as a function of mixing time in strong wheat flour dough using quantum dots as a labeling tool with confocal laser scanning microscopy

Location and distribution of gliadins were investigated in AT, PT, DT and 10 min after departure time. Antibody-quantum dot (QD) mixture successfully bonded to gliadins located on dough sections. The specificity of gliadin antibody to ethanol soluble proteins (Osborne gliadins) was shown successfully with a Western Blot experiment excluding binding to all other hard wheat flour proteins. The images obtained from dough sections were bright and clear and allowed to distinguish gliadin easily. Mixing led to considerable changes in the distribution, average particle size, and number of particle count of gliadins in dough microstructure. The QDs were found to be localized not only around the air cells as indicated by higher intensities but also in the bulk dough. Quantum dots can be used as fluorophore probes to tag and track molecules of interest in food microstructure. This combined with immunohistochemistry techniques offers a better understanding of gliadin distribution in dough during mixing.