Anti-oxidative potential of breads in dependence on recipees and baking procedure

Chemically very reactive free radicals, molecules, atoms or ions with unpaired electrons, are known to induce damages in living organisms, for example in protein and lipid metabolism and they are discussed as genotoxic agents. In man prograding ageing, loss of immunological strength and a number of diseases such as arteriosclerosis and certain cancers are discussed to be effected by free radicals of oxygen, nitrogen dioxide, etc. Anti-oxidants are substances counter-acting the reactions of free-radicals. Anti-oxidants comprise a broad range of different chemical components many of them occurring in cereals such as Vitamins C and E, plant pigments or trace elements like zink, copper or selenium. Furthermore, recent findings have shown, that during the thermal process of baking, constituents are synthesized that have anti-oxidative and in this sense health improving capacity. In experimental set-up breads of different recipes ranging from wheat via wheat/ rye, rye/wheat mixtures to rye breads were produced with variations in temperature regime. In addition, the influence of sour dough processing on anti-oxidative capacity was investigated. Anti-oxidative capacity was measured as total potential, i.e. the sum of reactive constituents, and given as Frolox equivalents of the FRAP method. Results prove that it is possible to influence the anti-oxidative capacity of breads by baking temperature regime, baking time and recipe design. As consequence bakers are enabled to actively improve the health beneficial potential of bread and other baked goods.