This study reveals microbiological and microstructural impacts of germination on soft wheat grain, suggesting optimization strategies for value-added products.
Key Points
Physicochemical changes in soft wheat grain during germination showed a significant reduction in thousand-kernel weight, test weight, and falling number.
Microstructural analyses indicated substantial degradation of starch granule morphology, transitioning from compact to porous structures during germination.
Optimized conditions for starch content, protein content, and microbial contamination were identified through response surface modeling.
Findings support processing germinated wheat into value-added products, even under poor harvest conditions.