In the master's thesis, we investigated the changes in antioxidant content of oats during germination. In the experiment, grains of two oat varieties (Kamil and Noni) were used, which were soaked and germinated, and samples were taken at different stages of the process for the analysis of water content and antioxidant content, respectively. To determine the content of antioxidants, we used three spectrophotometric methods: Folin-Ciocalteu, DPPH, and ABTS. We analyzed methanolic and sediment extracts of oat samples. The results showed that the content of free antioxidants in all oat samples increased significantly during germination. Dehulled oat sample of the Noni variety had fourfold content of free antioxidants after the germination. A trend of increase in bound antioxidants was also observed during germination, but it was not always characteristic. Total antioxidants increased significantly in most samples, and mainly at the expense of free antioxidants. During germination, the ratio between free and bound forms of antioxidants changed in favor of free in most oat samples. The greatest difference between ungerminated and germinated oat seeds in terms of total antioxidants was observed in the dehulled oat sample of the Noni variety, where upon germination the sample had 2,5 fold content of total antioxidants. Germinated oat seeds represent an important source of antioxidants that could be used in the production of functional foods.
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