Cereal Technology Laboratory

Laboratory Report

Session 1

Macro and Micromorphology of Grains

Group 5:

Cindy Metta Clarissa 18010052

Jovita Puspita Darmawan 18010124

Mayceline Carlos 19010168

Theodore Manuel 18010198

Results and Discussion

The results from different samples, such as rice, wheat, barley, corn, buckwheat were
shown in the table below (Table 1.). The observation was done for both dry and wet samples. It
is shown that the dry and wet samples have no significant differences as a whole seed. However,
once the samples were crushed the differences can be seen; the wet samples were mushier than
the dry samples (see Table 1.).

Table 1. Results of seed micromorphology observation. ​The observation was done by

microscope with 40x magnification. The samples were observed four times; dry as a whole seed,
dry seed that was crushed, wet as a whole seed, and wet seed that was crushed.

Seed Observation
Sample

Rice Dry-whole Dry-crushed

Wet-whole Wet-crushed

1
Wheat Dry-whole Dry-crushed

Wet-whole Wet-crushed

2
Barley Dry-whole Dry-crushed

Wet-whole Wet-crushed

Corn Dry-whole Dry-crushed

3
 Wet-whole Wet-crushed

Buckwheat Dry-whole Dry-crushed

4
 Wet-whole Wet-crushed

The structures which can be seen only through a microscope were the endosperm and
germ (only in corn) because only the pericarp that can be seen without the support of microscope
(Table 1.)​. Even though macroscopically pericarp can be seen, it still needs the support of a
microscope to distinguish the pericarp and other components inside the grains. This can happen
because macroscopically cannot promote the required magnification to see through the inner part
of the grains.

Generally, wheat is classified as soft, hard, and durum. Wheat grain structure is divided
into three main parts: endosperm, peripheral layer, and germ (Aguilera, 1999). The main
components of endosperm are starch and protein. Endosperm is the largest morphological
component that composes about 82% of the grain. While peripheral cells have the lowest starch
content and the highest protein content. And for the germs, it only comprises 3% of the grain
(Devahastin, n.d.).

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 Barley is one of the important plants and the structure of the germinated seeds are well
known. Non-germination seeds consist of layers of embryos and endosperm, consisting of layers
of the fruit coat, pericarp, along with the seed coat, testa. More than 80% of the grain volume is
the endosperm, which stores food reserves for the embryo. The grain coated with a fibrous husk.
In contrast to the wheat skin, the barley husk adheres firmly to the grain and does not separate
during threshing (Kaletunç & Breslauer, 2003). The microstructure of barley grains depends on
genotype, climate, and conditions of growth. The outer layer of the endosperm is called the
aleurone layer. One to four cells of barley are thick and almost entirely cover the whole germ and
the starchy endosperm. Aleurone cells are cube-shaped and have thick cell walls. Aleurone cells
are an important source of hydrolase which degrades the starchy endosperm during germination.
The inner part of the endosperm, the starchy endosperm, is non-living tissue. The barley
endosperm cell wall contains around 20% arabinoxysilane and 70% β-glucan (Arendt & Zannini,
2013).

The structure of rice grains is similar to other microstructure of grains including hull,
embryo, bran, and endosperm. Mature rice grains are harvested as closed grains (paddy or rough
rice), in which the caryopsis is surrounded by a hull (husk). Caryopsis is enclosed by the hull.
The hull itself is highly brittle (Juliano & Tuaño, 2019). The average hull weight is about 20% of
the weight of the rough rice, its value ranges from 16% to 28%, and the rice hull protects the
caryopsis. The rice endosperm consists of the inner starchy endosperm and the outer aleurone
layer. The starchy endosperm gives a boundary to the inner edge of the embryo. The two main
parts of the embryo are the scutellum and the embryonic axis (Wu, Liu, Li & Liu, 2016).

Buckwheat has similarities with barley and other cereals because it contains starchy
endosperm and non-starchy aleurone. However, there are some differences between barley and
buckwheat. Buckwheat is dicotyledonous, while barley is monocotyledonous. In the case of
microstructure, two cotyledons of buckwheat appear to be S-shaped. Both cotyledons are
wrapped around the embryo and curved through the starchy endosperm and attached to each
other. The cotyledons end up in the inside of the seed coat (Wijngaard, Renzetti & Arendt,
2007).

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 Corn which is known as maize consists of three main parts: endosperm, pericarp, and
embryo. Both the embryo and endosperm of the corn seed contain protein. Like other grain, the
corn endosperm also consists of aleurone as the outer layer that is rich in hydrolytic enzyme and
there is also starchy endosperm within the aleurone layer. Lastly, the pericarp is enclosed by a
hull which gives protection to the seed ( Sofi et al., 2009).

Millions of years ago, cereal has been one of the important diets which has undergone
selection that is associated with improvement and domestics. The information about the variety
of cereals has been organized by rice genome sequence. The information provides new insights
into the dimensions of cereal evolved. In cereal improvement, identifying genes based on the
new data and the population. The representation is reduced to give a better link for under
explored genes and also accelerate discovery in large genome cereals ​(Paterson et al., 2003)​.

According to USDA (n.d.), grains are graded into 5 classes: U.S. No. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. In
wheat, the grading factors are the test weight per bushel, defects such as damaged kernel, foreign
materials, and wealth of other classes, and also other materials per one kilograms such as glass,
animal filth, stones, etc. While in corn, it is similar with the wheat which graded from the weight
per bushel, damaged kernels, broken corn, and foreign materials. For barley, the factors of
gradings are test weight per bushel, suitable malting type, sound barley, damaged kernels, wild
oats, foreign materials, other grains percent, skinned and broken kernels, and also thin barley.

According to eCFR (2020), there are 3 types of rice which are brown rice, milled rice,
and rough rice. Brown rice has 5 grades which are U.S. No. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 with the factors of
Paddy kernels, total seeds, heat damaged kernels, objectionable seeds, red rice and damaged
kernels, chalky kernels, broken kernels, other types, and also well milled kernels. While for
milled rice and rough rice, there are 6 grades which are U.S. No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Both
grading factors are similar which are total seeds, heat damaged kernels and objectionable seeds,
red rice, damaged kernels, chalky kernels, broken kernels, other types, color requirements, and
minimum milling requirements for milled rice, while total seeds, heat damaged kernels and

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objectionable seeds, heat damaged kernels, red rice and damaged kernels, chalky kernels, other
types, and color requirements are the factors for grading rough rice.

Buckwheat grades are different from the other grains since it was Canada’s grade.
According to the Government of Canada, Canadian Grain Commission (2019), buckwheat has 3
grades which are No. 1 Canada, No. 2 Canada, and No. 3 Canada. The factors for grading
buckwheat are contaminated grain, damaged seeds, dehulled buckwheat, earth pellets, ergot,
excrement from any animals, fertilizer pellets, fireburnt samples, immature kernels, other
matters, odor, sclerotinia sclerotiorum fungus, size, soft earth pellets, stones, test weight, treated
seed, other chemical substances, and also varieties of buckwheat.

The variety of morphological differences is useful for identifying the grains sample to
distinguish the variety and utilization. Classification of different grains by looking at their
morphology based on visual is difficult because there are many characters affected by their
growth condition which are potentially useful. Another way to distinguish the variety is under
the light microscope which is more objectives to identify the grains morphology to observe the
grade ​(Wrigley et al., n.d.).

All of the grains observed are good quality grades grains with no defect and
contamination observed either macroscopically or microscopically. However, the grades of each
grain cannot be determined specifically since the lack of data obtained from the observation. In
example, there is no observation on the weight of the bushel, size, and also total seeds.

Barley seed is commonly malted. Malt barley is the most common malt, primarily used
for brewing. Malt barley is also used for the production of bread, breakfast cereals and many
other small products. Malt is the main supplier of fermentable sugar which is converted into
alcohol by means of yeast. Malt provides a source of sugar, starch, and enzymes (e.g.
A-amylase, b-amylase, and dextrinase control) to break down starch into fermentable sugars (e.g.
Glucose, Maltose, and Maltotriose). While yeast does not make this enzyme. Therefore, barley
malt can also be used in other baked products as the source of enzymes, flavor, color, and source
of fermentable sugar (Edney & Izydorczyk, 2003).

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 Buckwheat is one of the gluten-free products which is usually used for many food
products. The buckwheat groat that is coarsely ground is usually used in bread. Buckwheat is
generally mixed with wheat flour to prepare pancake, doughnut, muffins, biscuit, and breakfast
cereal (Edwards, 2007).

Corn can be used in the making of several bakery products. The powdery substance
derived from the endosperm of corn kernel known as the corn starch usually has been used for
thickening agents. Corn starch, in addition to being used as a thickener, is used to disperse or
retain food ingredients in the mixture (e.g. it is used to suspend fat in a protein mixture and to
suspend protein in a fat mixture). The third physicochemical property is the ability of starch to
make a gel. The fourth physicochemical feature is the ability to form a strong adhesive film. For
this reason, corn starch is one of the most widely used food ingredients for baking and so on.
Corn starch is usually mixed with other flour to enhance the crumb strength and to increase
tenderness. The bakery products that are made using cornstarch as thickening agents are
brownies, shortbread, biscuit, and many more (Reilly, 1997).

Wheat is mainly used in the form of flour in the baking industry. Gluten protein allows
bread to become light, airy, and soft. Other applications include the making of cakes, cookies,
and pasta. The cohesive effect of gluten protein provides the ability to capture carbon dioxide
and water vapor during leavening (Delcour & Hoseney, 2010).

Rice grain is also mainly used in the form of flour. Rice flour is usually produced from
milled kernels. It is one of the suitable commodities for bread making due to its bland taste,
digestibility, and hypoallergenic properties. However, there are some drawbacks to use rice flour
as an ingredient. Rice flour contains low content of prolamins which prevent the formulation of
protein network when kneaded with water that reduces the ability to hold carbon dioxide.
Nowadays, several structuring agents such as hydroxypropyl methylcellulose have been used to
increase gas retention in bread making to produce a better quality of bread loaf. Other bakery
products that can be made using rice flour are gluten-free muffins, cookies, doughnut, and
gluten-free pancakes (Rosell & Gómez, 2014).

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Conclusion and Recommendation

In conclusion, all of the grains observed are in good quality. Microscopes help to
distinguish more clearly the structure of different grains and other components inside. Based on
the microstructure observation, each grain has a different component such as the grain’s shapes
and percentage of the endosperm. The evolution of cereal grains began around a million years
ago. The genome sequence of rice recognized the new information about grain variety that
provides an improvement of cereal genes. The grade for grains depends on the country and some
factors include contamination, damage, and the component. Classification under a light
microscope is more efficient because there are many characters affected by their growth
condition. Barley, buckwheat, corn, wheat, and rice in the form of flour can be used in several
bakery products with different texture results.

It is recommended to conduct more observation rather than just visualization either

macroscopically or microscopically. For example, the test weight of bushel, precise size, and
total seeds needed to be observed in order to grade the grains according to the factors mentioned
before.

References

Aguilera, J. (1999). ​Microstructural principles of food processing and engineering​.

Gaithersburg: Aspen Publishers.

Arendt, E., & Zannini, E. (2013). ​Cereal Grains for the Food and Beverages Industries.​
Sawston: Woodhead Publishing Limited.

Delcour, J., & Hoseney, R. (2010). ​Principles of cereal science and technology.​ St. Paul, Minn:
AACC International.

Devahastin, S. ​Food microstructure and its relationship with quality and stability​.

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eCFR (2020). Electronic Code of Federal Regulation. Retrieved February 18, 2020, from
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=1fb891ea4cd23e305528c37c85cb2a3c&mc=t
rue&node=sp7.7.868.c&rgn=div6#se7.7.868_1210
Edney, M., & Izydorczyk, M. (2003). MALT | Malt Types and Products. ​Encyclopedia Of Food
Sciences And Nutrition,​ 3671-3677. doi: 10.1016/b0-12-227055-x/00730-6
Edwards, W. (2007). ​The science of bakery products.​ Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry.
Government of Canada, Canadian Grain Commission. (2019). Buckwheat: Grading factors.
Retrieved February 18, 2020, from
https://www.grainscanada.gc.ca/en/grain-quality/official-grain-grading-guide/13-buckwh
eat/grading-factors.html
Juliano, B., & Tuaño, A. (2019). Gross structure and composition of the rice grain. ​Rice,​ 31-53.
doi: 10.1016/b978-0-12-811508-4.00002-2
Kaletunç, G., & Breslauer, K. (2003). ​Characterization of cereals and flours.​ New York: Marcel
Dekker.

Paterson, A., Bowers, J., Peterson, D., Estill, J., & Chapman, B. (2003). Structure and evolution
of cereal genomes. ​Current Opinion In Genetics & Development,​ ​13(​ 6), 644-650.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gde.2003.10.002

Reilly, R. (1997). ​Great gluten free goodies.​ Portland, ME: Rebecca's Kitchen.

Rosell, C., & Gómez, M. (2014). Rice. ​Bakery Products Science And Technology​, 89-106. doi:
10.1002/9781118792001.ch5

Sofi, Parvaze & Wani, Shafiq & Rather, A. & Wani, Shabir. (2009). Review article: Quality
protein maize (QPM): Genetic manipulation for the nutritional fortification of maize. J
Plant Breed Crop Sci.. 1. 244-253.

United States Departement of Agriculture (USDA) (n.d.). Grain, Grades of. Retrieved February
18, 2020, from ​https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/grain-grades

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Wijngaard, H., Renzetti, S., & Arendt, E. (2007). Microstructure of Buckwheat and Barley
During Malting Observed by Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy and Scanning
Electron Microscopy. ​Journal Of The Institute Of Brewing,​ ​113(​ 1), 34-41. doi:
10.1002/j.2050-0416.2007.tb00253.x

Wrigley, C., Batey, I., & Miskelly, D. Cereal grains.

Wu, X., Liu, J., Li, D., & Liu, C. (2016). Rice caryopsis development II: Dynamic changes in the
endosperm. ​Journal Of Integrative Plant Biology,​ ​58(​ 9), 786-798. doi:
10.1111/jipb.12488

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