Effect of malting on antioxidant capacity and vitamin E content in different barley genotypes

Unprocessed barley is known to contain relatively high levels of antioxidants, which play a critical role in human health and the preservation of food and drink products. However, there are limited data on how the antioxidant levels in barley are affected by malting, and whether the level of antioxidants in the processed malt differs between barley varieties. This study aimed to determine the levels of individual vitamin E isomers, total vitamin E content and total antioxidant capacity before, during and after malting in 12 covered and two hulless barley genotypes. Vitamin E content and antioxidant capacity were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and ability to scavenge DPPH radicals, respectively. The vitamin E content of most genotypes was reduced after steeping, germination and kilning compared with the unprocessed samples. However, the antioxidant capacity in the malt was higher than in the unprocessed samples for the majority of the genotypes. While there was variation in the percentage change in antioxidant capacity between varieties, the antioxidant capacity of samples after malting was directly correlated with their antioxidant capacity before processing (r=0.9, n=14, p<0.05). These results indicate that barley varieties that have higher antioxidant capacity at harvest retain their antioxidants after malting. Thus, these varieties are likely to be the most suitable for producing malts with the added health benefits and anti-spoiling properties associated with greater antioxidant content