Anthocyanin profile and main antioxidants in pigmented wheat grains and related millstream fractions

Abstract

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesIncreasing evidence has shown the potential for foods made from anthocyanin‐rich cereal grains to reduce the development and progression of many degenerative chronic diseases. Among cereals, only pigmented rice and maize have been used for food production, whereas for blue and purple wheat grains the food industry has been more limited. In light of this, the present study was aimed at characterizing the whole meal, bran, and flour of the blue bread wheat “Sebesta Blue‐2” and the purple durum wheats “T‐1303” and “‘ELS 6304‐56” in relation to their total phenolic content (TPC), total proanthocyanidin content (TPrC), total anthocyanin content (TAC), and total antioxidant activity (TAA) determined spectrophotometrically, and their anthocyanin profile and TAC determined by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) (TACHPLC).FindingsAmong the milling fractions, the bran showed the highest phytochemical content and antioxidant activity, with values 1.6–8.3‐ and 4.0–9.3‐fold higher than those observed in the whole meal and flour, respectively. Among genotypes, the highest phytochemical content and antioxidant activity were observed in Sebesta Blue‐2, followed by T‐1303 and ELS 6304‐56. The strongest differences among genotypes concerned the TACHPLC, with values that in Sebesta Blue‐2 were 4.8‐ and 14.1‐fold higher than T‐1303 and ELS 6304‐56, respectively. Multivariate analysis highlighted the best profile in terms of phytochemical content and antioxidant activity in the bran of Sebesta Blue‐2 with very high values of TPC, TPrC, glycosylated anthocyanins, and TAA, followed by the bran of T‐1303, with high‐to‐very high values of TPC, TPrC, anthocyanins and TAA, and the whole meal of Sebesta Blue‐2, with high values of glycosylated anthocyanins and intermediate values of TPC, TPrC, and TAA.ConclusionsThe bran of Sebesta Blue‐2 and T‐1303 could be used as an additive in cereal‐based fortified‐functional foods or could be further processed to produce nutraceutical supplements. The whole meal of Sebesta Blue‐2 could be used as starting material for the preparation of baked products rich in health‐promoting compounds.Significance and noveltyThe present study is one of the few studies to report the anthocyanin profile for the milling fractions of pigmented grains and is the first to report the existence of proanthocyanidins in blue and purple wheat grains and their milling fractions.