Effect of cultivar and roller milling on the levels of phenolic compounds in Italian durum wheat

摘要

Various studies have analyzed the polyphenol contents of the soft, medium and hard wheat classes of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Marginal attention has been devoted to durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. spp. turgidum var. durum), the essential raw material for producing high quality pasta, one of the basic foods in the Italian diet. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of roller milling and cultivars on soluble phenolic contents (SPC) in durum wheat. A set of 20 Italian durum cultivars was considered. SPC ranged from 1.69 to 2.26 mg ferulic acid equivalent (FAE)/g of wholemeal. Various milling by-products derived from the same grain lot were analyzed. The SPC of different milling fractions differed significantly, with the highest levels in bran and "cruschello" middling (about 3.8 mg FAE/g). The decrease in SPC was progressive as the contribution of inner parts of kernels increased. The results showed that bran and bran-rich middlings from selected Italian durum cultivars could bepotential sources of phenolic substances to be used as functional food ingredients per se, or as base materials to prepare antioxidant extracts.