II. 41. Chemotaxonomic study of barley and malt by gel electrofocalization.
R. Scriban and B. Strobbel, Chaire de Malterie-Brasserie, Eaux et Boissons Gazeuses, Ecole National Superieure, Des Industries Agrocoles et Alimentaires, 59509 Douai Cedex, France. "R"
We continued our earlier starch gel electrophoresis study of barley and malt prolamins (or hordeins) (EBC, 1977), this time using the gel electrofocalization technique. Our purpose was to check the varietal purity of barley and - for the first time - of malt, and also to contribute to genetic research on barley.
Grains were hulled and crushed, and extracted directly by isopropanol solution with mercaptoethanol. The dry alcohol extract was resuspended in 6M urea.
Analysis by gel electrofocalization using acrylamide-urea-ampholins (pH 5 to 9) was carried out for two hours at 5°C with a Multiphor LKB appliance. After migration, protein bands were precipitated with trichloracetic acid and the gel was photographed. Relative mobility was measured in relation to JULIA barley, taken as the control.
Seventy-three varieties of barley (2 row-spring, 2 row-winter, 6 row) with 45 cultivated or arable varieties in France and 28 foreign varieties (with 19 European varieties) were analyzed. Thanks to the characteristic bands, it was possible to work out a barley and malt classification system (eight important electrophoretic groups as far as one variety). Six row barley groups and 2 row-winter barley groups were well individualized, but some groups among the 2 row-spring barley limited the taxonomical possibilities of this method, at the moment.
We are also studying two other methods of electrophoretic analysis.
Gel electrofocussing can be very useful for checking for the first time the quality of malts delivered to brewers, because certain barley varieties may cause technological difficulties in beer manufacturing, particularly during mashing and filtration, and the quality of the beer may be affected.
The method will be of very efficient use for genetic biochemistry, phylogeny and taxonomy of barleys.
References:
Autran, J.C. and R. Scriban. 1977. Recherche sur la purete varietale d'un malt. Proc. European Brewery Convention (EBC), 47.
Scriban, R. 1951. Les protides de l'orge, du malt et du moAt. Thesis Doctor of Sciences, University of Lille.
Scriban, R. and B. Strobbel. 1978. C. R. Acad. Sc. Paris, Serie D. 287, n° 8, 841.
Scriban, R. and B. Strobbel. 1978. On the chemotaxonomy of barley and malt studied by electrofocalization. C. R. Soc. Biologies, (in press).
Scriban, R. and B. Strobbel. 1979. Chemotaxonomy study of barley and malt by gel electrofocalization. Proc. Masters Brewers Association of Americas (in press).