From grain to products: How processing technologies modulate bioactive compounds in triticale-based products

Triticale, a hybrid cereal combining wheat and rye characteristics, contains significant amounts of dietary fibre (13–16%), phenolic acids, and tocochromanols, yet remains underutilised for human consumption. This study investigated the effects of various technological processes (extrusion, sprouting, sourdough fermentation, baking, and pasta production) on selected bioactive compounds in two triticale cultivars (Leontino and Panteon). The content of total dietary fibre (TDF), soluble dietary fibre (SDF), insoluble dietary fibre (IDF), arabinoxylans (WEAX, WUAX), fructans, free (FAs), conjugated (CAs), and bound (BAs) phenolic acids, and tocochromanols were determined using validated analytical methods.
Among the processes evaluated, pasta production induced the least pronounced changes in bioactive compound profiles. Extrusion increased SDF content by 30% while reducing fructans (28%), tocochromanols (>70%), CAs (40%), and BAs (13%). Sprouting significantly decreased CAs (67%) and BAs (30%) but increased tocochromanols (21%). Sourdough fermentation substantially reduced fructans (86%) and tocochromanols (26%) while increasing FAs and CAs (by 50% and 63%, respectively). Baking of sourdough bread further elevated FAs (57%) and CAs (23%) but decreased BAs (4%) and tocochromanols (72%). The findings demonstrate that triticale grain represents a valuable raw material for food production, offering not only desirable technological properties but also significant nutritional value through its bioactive compound profile. From this perspective, sourdough bread production emerges as the most appropriate processing technology for triticale utilization.