Determination of the health-protective effect of ancient cereals and one possibility of increasing their functionality

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the differences between the antioxidant capacity, and the total polyphenol content of the ancient grains namely Einkorn (Triticum monococcum L.) and Khorasan (Triticum turanicum) compared with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), furthermore attempt to create a functional loaf enriched with rosemary (Salvia Rosmarinus Spenn.). To achieve this goal, 1, 3, and 5% of rosemary were added to the loafs made of Einkorn, Khorasan, and common wheat flour, and then the changes in their antioxidant and polyphenol content were examined. Based on the spectrophotometric results, it can be said that the type of wheat clearly affects the amount of the tested components. In all cases, the loafs made from common wheat contained the least amount of antioxidants (0.74 mg AAE/g) and polyphenols (0.41 mg GAE/g). On the other hand, Khorasan loaves showed outstanding values in terms of their antioxidant (0.89 mg AAE/g) and polyphenol (0.68 mg GAE/g) content. Einkorn loaves contained smaller amounts of the tested antioxidants (0.71 mg AAE/g) and polyphenols (0.51 mg GAE/g), but they were still better than common wheat loaves. The addition of rosemary can significantly increase the amount of compounds with an antioxidant effect in bakery products, but care must be taken to preserve the favorable organoleptic properties. It has been proven that ancient grains have a more positive physiological effect than common wheat, and the health-protective properties of bakery products can be increased by adding herbs.Graphical abstract