Insights into the effects of extractable phenolic compounds and Maillard reaction products on the antioxidant activity of roasted wheat flours with different maturities

Experiments were performed to determine the effect of roasting whole wheat flours at 80 °C, 100 °C and 120 °C for 30 min on four forms of phenolics, Maillard reaction products (MRPs), and the DPPH scavenging activity (DSA) at 15, 30 and 45 days after flowering (15-DAF, 30-DAF, and 45-DAF). Roasting increased the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the wheat flours, which were the dominant contributions to the formation of Maillard reaction products. The highest total phenolic content (TPC) and total phenolic DSA (TDSA) were determined in the DAF-15 flours at 120 °C/30 min. The DAF-15 flours exhibited the highest browning index and fluorescence of free intermediate compounds and advanced MRPs, suggesting that a substantial quantity of MRPs were formed. Four forms of phenolic compounds were detected with significantly different DSAs in the roasted wheat flours. The insoluble-bound phenolic compounds exhibited the highest DSA, followed by the glycosylated phenolic compounds.