Effect of processing and cooking on zinc availability from wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Abstract

Wheat variety ‘HD 2329’ was processed into whole wheat flour, pearled wheat flour and broken wheat. Chapati and parantha were prepared from whole and pearled wheat flour while porridge was prepared from broken wheat. Zinc balance study was carried out using albino rats and diets prepared from raw and cooked products using skim milk protein and ZnSO4 as standard. Results revealed higher zinc absorption/retention from chapati diets compared to respective flours and parantha diets. However, percent zinc absorption and femur zinc content of rats eating pearled wheat chapati diet were significant1y (p < 0.05) higher compared with whole wheat flour chapati diet. Mean plasma zinc levels of groups fed chapati were non-significantly higher than the respective raw flours and parantha diets fed groups. Based on femur weight, femur zinc, plasma zinc and zinc absorption and retention, it may be concluded that pearled wheat diets are better than whole wheat diets and among the products, chapati is better than parantha and porridge.