Effect of physical treatments on wheat fine bran

Development of functional products is driven by the market demand for foods able to improve the health and well-being of consumers. In this regard, there is a growing interest in foods rich in dietary fiber (DF), as it is widely accepted that DF is associated with the prevention of some diseases and generally beneficial to human health. However, high percentages of fiber worsen both the rheological and the sensory properties of wheat-based products. Therefore, identification of physical and biotechnological interventions, capable to improve the technological performance and the nutritional properties of fiber-enriched goods seems a worthy target. This work was aimed at studying the effects of physical treatments on wheat fine bran. Treatments used were micronization and high pressure processing, also in combination. Micronization was carried out by pin mill, and high pressure treatment was carried out at 600 MPa at room temperature. The hydration properties of fine bran after physical treatments were monitored by assessing the following parameters: swelling capacity (SW), water holding capacity (WHC), and water binding capacity (WBC). For each treatment, total DF and the soluble/insoluble DF ratio were also determined. Micronization significantly increased the WHC and WBC, as did high pressure treatment. Combining these physical treatments slightly increased these parameters. The total DF content of the treated samples also increased significantly upon treatment, that also resulted in changes in the ratio soluble/insoluble DF. Modifications were also clearly observed by microscopy. In conclusions, these results appear to support the possibility of using physically treated fine bran as an ingredient in fiber-enriched cereal-based products.