As técnicas de espectroscopia por reflexão no infravermelho próximo (NIRRS) e por reflexão difusa no infravermelho médio com transformada de Fourier (DRIFTS) foram empregadas com o método de regressão multivariado por mínimos quadrados parciais (PLS) para a determinação simultânea dos teores de proteína e cinza em amostras de farinha de trigo da variedade Triticum aestivum L. Foram coletados espectros no infravermelho em duplicata de 100 amostras, empregando-se acessórios de reflexão difusa. Os teores de proteína (8,85-13,23%) e cinza (0,330-1,287%), empregados como referência, foram determinados pelo método Kjeldhal e método gravimétrico, respectivamente. Os dados espectrais foram utilizados no formato log(1/R), bem como suas derivadas de primeira e segunda ordem, sendo pré-processados usando-se os dados centrados na média (MC) ou escalados pela variância (VS) ou ambos. Cinqüenta e cinco amostras foram usadas para calibração e 45 para validação dos modelos, adotando-se como critério de construção os valores mínimos do erro padrão de calibração (SEC) e do erro padrão de validação (SEV). Estes valores foram inferiores a 0,33% para proteína e a 0,07% para cinza. Os métodos desenvolvidos apresentam como vantagens a não agressão ao ambiente, bem como permitem uma determinação direta, simultânea, rápida e não destrutiva dos teores de proteína e cinza em amostras de farinha de trigo.

Partial Least Square (PLS) multivariate calibration associated to Near Infrared Reflection Spectroscopy (NIRRS) or Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) were used to establish methods for simultaneous determination of protein and ash content on commercial wheat flour samples of Triticum aestivum L. Duplicate spectra of 100 samples with protein content between 8.85-13.23% (Kjeldahl method) and ash content between 0.330-1.287% (gravimetric method) were employed to build calibration methods. The spectra were used in log (1/R) format as well as in the first and second derivatives and they were also pre-processed by mean centering (MC) or variance scaling (VS) or both. The samples were divided in two sets, one with 55 samples and the other with 45 used as calibration and validation sets, respectively. Calibration methods were obtained by using minimum values of root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) and root mean square error of validation (RMSEV). Methods of calibration with RMSEC and RMSEV values lower than 0.33 in the determination of protein content and lower than 0.07 in the determination of ash content. The proposed methods are environmentally non aggressive as they avoid the use of reagents and do not generate hazardous waste. Furthermore, they allow fast and non destructive simultaneous and direct determination of ash and protein content in wheat flour samples.

This paper is the second part of an article aimed to present theoretical basis as well as some applications of two infrared reflection techniques: specular reflection and reflection-absorption. It is emphasyzed how much spectral simulation can aid spectral analysis. The usefulness of reflection-absorption spectroscopy as a thin film caracterization technique is stressed. Optical effects such as LO-TO splittings and their observation as Berreman effect are also addressed.

This paper is the first part of an article aimed to present theoretical basis as well as some applications of two infrared reflection techniques: specular reflection and reflection-absorption. It is emphasyzed how the Kramers-Krönig analysis of reflection data can be useful in both retrieving optical constants and making spectral analysis possible. Examples of vitreous, powdered and liquid samples are given.