Effect of thermal processing on antioxidant properties of purple wheat bran

Antioxidant activity of purple wheat bran, heat-treated purple wheat bran, and purple wheat bran muffins was evaluated to determine the impact of thermal processing on potential health benefits. The purple wheat bran and muffin samples were analyzed for total phenolic content, anthocyanin content and free radical scavenging activity using peroxyl (oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay) and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH assay) radicals. Total phenolic content and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) values of sample extracts were significantly affected by various extracting solvents. The conditions selected for heat treatment did not markedly change antioxidant activity of purple wheat bran. However, there was a significant reduction in total phenolic contents, ORAC values and total anthocyanins during processing of purple wheat bran- or heat-treated purple wheat bran-enriched muffins. On the contrary, muffin extracts still remained excellent in DPPH radical scavenging activity.