Physical, Textural, and Antioxidant Properties of Extruded Waxy Wheat Flour Snack Supplemented with Several Varieties of Bran

• Published in: Journal of food science Vol. 81; no. 11; pp. E2726 - E2733
• Main Authors: Fleischman, Emily F., Kowalski, Ryan J., Morris, Craig F., Nguyen, Thuy, Li, Chongjun, Ganjyal, Girish, Ross, Carolyn F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.11.2016; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: antioxidant; Antioxidants; Clubs; Commodities; Dietary fiber; Extrusion; Extrusions; Flour; Food science; Snack foods; Snacks; texture; Triticum aestivum; waxy-pen; Wheat; wheat bran; wheat bran; antioxidant; waxy-pen; texture; extrusion
• ISSN: 0022-1147; 1750-3841
• DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.13511

Wheat represents a ubiquitous commodity and although industries valorize 10% of wheat bran, most of this antioxidant‐rich byproduct gets fed to livestock. The objective of this study was to incorporate wheat bran into an extruded snack. Bran samples from hard red spring, soft white club cv. Bruehl, and purple wheat lines were added to cv. Waxy‐Pen wheat flour (Triticum aestivum L.) at replacement concentrations of 0%, 12.5%, 25%, and 37.5% (w/w; n = 10). Extrudates were evaluated for antioxidant capacity, color, and physical properties. Results showed that high fiber concentrations altered several pasting properties, reduced expansion ratios (P < 0.0001), and created denser products (P < 0.0001), especially for white bran supplemented extrudates. Purple bran supplemented extrudates produced harder products compared to white and red bran treatments (P < 0.0001). Extrudates produced with 37.5% (w/w) of each bran variety absorbed more water than the control with no added bran. The oxygen radical absorption capacity assay, expressed as Trolox Equivalents, showed that extrudates made with addition of red (37.5%) and purple (37.5%) bran had higher values compared to the other treatments; the control, red, and white bran treatments had less antioxidant activity after extrusion (P < 0.0001) compared to purple bran supplemented extrudates. Purple and red brans may serve as viable functional ingredients in extruded foods given their higher antioxidant activities. Future studies could evaluate how bran variety and concentration, extruded shape, and flavor influence consumer acceptance. Practical Application Consumers may enjoy an antioxidant‐enriched puffed snack food as an alternative to other retail products with little fiber. Furthermore, extrusion technology provides an efficient way to manage wheat bran waste.