# Multigrain Bread: Impact of Germinated Grain Supplement on Phytochemical Profile and Technological and Nutritional Properties

## TL;DR

Adding germinated grains to bread boosts its nutritional value and antioxidant properties while maintaining good sensory qualities.

## Contribution

This study demonstrates how germinated grains can enhance bread's phytochemical and nutritional profile.

## Key findings

- Germinated grains successfully transferred bioactive compounds into bread, enhancing antioxidant properties.
- Bread with 60% germinated grain had nearly double the dietary fiber content.
- Sensory evaluations showed high acceptability for all enriched breads.

## Abstract

Modern diets often provide insufficient health-promoting nutrients, prompting the development of enriched staple foods. This study investigated the impact of incorporating germinated spelt (Triticum spelta), naked oat (Avena nuda), and buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) seeds at 30% and 60% levels on the nutritional, technological, and sensory properties of wheat bread. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis verified the successful transfer of grain-specific bioactive compounds into the dough and bread matrix—benzoxazinoids (BOA, MBOA) from spelt, avenanthramides (AVN A, B, C) from oats, and flavonoids (e.g., rutin, vitexin, orientin) from buckwheat—emphasizing both free and bound metabolite fractions. Multigrain breads exhibited a complementary phytochemical profile. The antioxidant properties of the enriched breads were markedly enhanced, with germinated buckwheat providing the most pronounced increase. Analysis confirmed a significant increase in dietary fibre content proportional to the level of germinated grain addition, with almost double the content in 60% multigrain bread. Texture analysis indicated that the control crumb exhibited the greatest relative firming over 48 h during storage. Sensory evaluation showed that all of the enriched breads received high acceptability scores (>18/20). The incorporation of germinated seeds effectively enhances the nutritional value of bread, offering a promising strategy for developing health-promoting bakery products.