Functional properties of individual classes of phospholipids in breadmaking

Individual phospholipid classes in high purity were isolated by thin layer chromatography on a semi-preparative scale (1-2 g) from crude lecithins of different origins (soybean, rapeseed, sunflower) and their baking activity was studied by micro-scale baking tests using 10 g of flour. Baking tests with individual phospholipid classes showed for the first time, that phosphatidylinositol, which was supposed to play a secondary role in breadmaking, is the only type of phospholipid which is active at very low concentrations, 0.02-0.1% based on flour weight. No other type of phospholipid was active in this concentration range, when added individually. The effects of individual phospholipid types were compared to those of mixtures. A mixture of phosphatidylinositol/phosphatidylethanolamine/phosphatidic acid/phosphatidylserine in the proportion 2/2/1/0.5 (by weight) was found to be the most effective in breadmaking (increasing the loaf volume by up to 31%), indicating synergistic effects between the components. The results were confirmed by baking tests on a larger scale (300 g of flour). High proportions of phosphatidylinositol and lysophosphatidylethanolamine decreased the loaf volume, and phosphatidylcholine, which is the major constituent of crude lecithins, had only a minor impact on baking activity.