Evaluation of Total Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity of Malting and Hulless Barley Grain and Malt Extracts

Nine malting and six hulless barley varieties were evaluated for their grain characteristics, beta-glucans, total phenolic contents, and corresponding antioxidant activities determined by DPPH radical scavenging method. Samples were malted to compare malt quality properties between hulled and hulless types of barley and to estimate the influence of malting process on total phenolics. The highest levels of total phenolics and antioxidant activity were observed in the hulless barley lines GZ-191 and GZ-186. Malts were found to have higher antioxidant activity and contents of total phenolics than their corresponding barley. Results from the present study showed that hulless barley lines had on average higher protein, starch, beta-glucan, malt extract content, and wort viscosity, but lower Kolbach Index and malt friability when compared to hulled malting varieties. The analysis of fifteen different barley samples shows that the barley type has an influence on both the total phenolic content and the antioxidant activity, as well as on the malting performance of hulless and hulled barley.