Evaluation of wheat bran from two different cultivars from grain to bread

Abstract

Wheat bran (WB) has gained significant attention due to its valuable nutritional components, particularly dietary fibers (DFs). This study aimed to compare the wheat bran of two different bread wheat cultivars, Tekirdag and Rumeli, to evaluate how their chemical, functional, and bioactive properties influence bread-making quality. These wheat cultivars, obtained from the Thrace region of T & uuml;rkiye, exhibited similar thousand-grain weight, hectoliter weight, protein content, and gluten content, though Rumeli had a higher gluten index and Zeleny sedimentation value (p < 0.05). After milling, the composition of the WBs was analyzed, revealing significant differences except in moisture and protein content. Rumeli WB contained higher levels of insoluble and total DF, resulting in a greater total water retention capacity (T-WRC). The lower T-WRC of Tekirdag WB contributed to better bread-making performance, as evidenced by its higher specific volume (p < 0.05). Although the breads produced from these WBs were similar in total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant properties, significant differences in TPC and antioxidant activity were observed between the WBs themselves (p < 0.05). These findings highlighted that WB characteristics, such as total DF content and T-WRC are more determinant in influencing bread-making quality, while bioactive properties of WBs were not reflected in the respective breads.