Fusarium-inoculated wheat: deoxynivalenol contents and baking quality in relation to infection time

Cereals contaminated by Fusarium spp. and their mycotoxins, e.g. deoxynivalenol (DON), are not only a risk to human and animal health but also show reduced technological properties. This study examines the influence of high Fusarium infection levels of wheat on its baking quality in relation to infection time. Nearly uninfected wheat, wheat inoculated with a spore-mixture of different Fusarium spp. at the time of flowering, and wheat inoculated with spores of Fusarium graminearum at different growth stages were investigated. Extension and baking tests, HPLC analyses of gluten proteins, and DON determination were performed as well as X-ray absorption spectroscopy to analyse the sulfur speciation of gluten proteins on a molecular level. Our results indicate that high Fusarium infection levels accompanied with high DON contents did not necessarily deteriorate baking quality. This finding was independent of infection time.