Using the germination process to increase the antioxidant properties of raw materials

Abstract

Abstract. The development of technology for controlled germination of grains and raw ingredients based on them, as well as the adaptation of methods and approaches for each individual crop, is one of the promising areas in the development of a line of food products that meets all the requirements of the modern population. The novelty of the research lies in the use of short-term temperature exposure as a disinfecting step before the process of germination of barley grain and the formation of an evidence base that this type of exposure does not have a negative impact on the remaining technological stages. The purpose of the study was to study the possibility of using barley grain in germination technology for the further production of raw ingredients with increased antioxidant properties. Research methods. The objects of study were barley grain (Hordeum vulgare L.), harvested from 2019 to 2022. The production of sprouted grain included separate technological stages: disinfection (short-term exposure to high temperatures), soaking (in water at 20 ± 2 °C for 20 hours) and germination (in a chamber with a temperature of 22 ± 2 °C and air humidity 95 ± 3 % , with a time range of 12–48 hours). Standard methods were used to evaluate: organoleptic indicators, humidity, nature, mass fraction of protein, ability and energy of germination, as well as microbiological indicators. To select the optimal duration of germination, the total content of flavonoids, polyphenols and antioxidant activity was controlled. Results. As a result of the studies, it was established that the use of short-term thermal exposure at a temperature of 190 °C and a duration of 10 s allows minimizing the risks of activating the development of the present microflora of barley grain. Using the proposed approaches, when carrying out the technological stage of germination, it was possible to identify the optimal duration of the process – 36 hours, which leads to an increase in total antioxidant activity by an average of 46 %, flavonoid content by 560 % and polyphenols by 145 %.