Deoxynivalenol content, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity of wheat flour after debranning process

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the debranning process on the deoxynivalenol (DON) content, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant activity of wheat flours, in order to determine which milling technology provides the safest and most nutritional wheat products. Grain samples from the BRS Marcante, BRS Reponte, and BRS 374 wheat (Triticum aestivum) cultivars were used to obtain both whole-wheat and white flours. For whole-wheat, grains were debranned at different times (20 and 40 s). The debranning process significantly reduced the DON content in the whole-wheat flours from all cultivars. The DON concentration decreased 22 and 28% in the 20 and 40 s debranning treatments, respectively, when compared with the treatment without debranning. In addition, phenolic compound content and antioxidant capacity are significantly higher in the whole-wheat flours. The debranning process contributes to the production of safer and healthier foods, by reducing DON content and retaining phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity in whole-wheat flours.