In vitro procedure to predict apparent antioxidant release from wholegrain foods measured using three different analytical methods

Several methods have been applied to the measurement of antioxidants in biological samples. Extraction methods have previously relied on chemical methods which are non-physiological. This paper reports the use of an in vitro method with enzymatic and fermentation steps, designed to mimic digestion through the gastrointestinal tract, on release of antioxidants from a range of wholegrain foods. A total of 41 samples, (31 raw foods, 10 of which were also analysed after cooking) were analysed using the ferric reducing antioxidant capacity and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity methods. Six samples were also measured using the oxygen radical absorption capacity method. The three antioxidant assay methods gave different apparent antioxidant activity trends, and the range of values was dependent on the type of food. The effects of cooking were mainly observed in the early stages of the incubation procedure, suggesting that cooking may destroy soluble antioxidants but not those bound within the food matrix. For all samples, apparent antioxidant release increased during the incubation period, suggesting that antioxidants bound within the food matrix may be released and exert their effects in different regions of the gastrointestinal tract. (c) 2005 Society of Chemical Industry.