Comparative Analysis of Vitamin, Mineral Content, and Antioxidant Capacity in Cereals and Legumes and Influence of Thermal Process
Corina Moisa,
Anca Monica Brata,
Iulia C. Muresan,
Felicia Dragan,
Ioana Ratiu,
Oana Cadar,
Anca Becze,
Mihai Carbunar,
Vlad Dumitru Brata,
Alin Cristian Teusdea
Affiliations
Corina Moisa
Department of Pharmacy, Medicine and Pharmacy Faculty, University of Oradea, 29 Nicolae Jiga Street, 410028 Oradea, Romania
Anca Monica Brata
Department of Engineering of Food Products, Faculty of Environmental Protection, University of Oradea, 26 Gen. Magheru St., 410087 Oradea, Romania
Iulia C. Muresan
Department of Economic Sciences, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3–5 Manastur Street, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Felicia Dragan
Department of Pharmacy, Medicine and Pharmacy Faculty, University of Oradea, 29 Nicolae Jiga Street, 410028 Oradea, Romania
Ioana Ratiu
Department of Medicine, Medicine and Pharmacy Faculty, University of Oradea, 1 University Street, 410087 Oradea, Romania
Oana Cadar
INCDO INOE 2000, Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation Subsidiary, 67 Donath Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Anca Becze
INCDO INOE 2000, Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation Subsidiary, 67 Donath Street, 400293 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Mihai Carbunar
Faculty of Environmental Protection, University of Oradea, 26 Gen. Magheru St., 410087 Oradea, Romania
Vlad Dumitru Brata
Faculty of Medicine, “Iuliu Hatieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400000 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Alin Cristian Teusdea
Faculty of Environmental Protection, University of Oradea, 26 Gen. Magheru St., 410087 Oradea, Romania
Cereals, as the world’s most consumed food, face challenges related to nutrient quality due to climate change and increased production impacting soil health. In this study, we investigated the vitamin and mineral content, polyphenols, and antioxidant activity in cereals from Western Romania, analyzing whole and hulled wheat, rye, oat, and soybeans before and after heat treatment. Samples from 2022 crops were processed into dough and subjected to 220 °C for 30 min. The results reveal that, despite efforts to optimize nutrient content, cereals, particularly after heat processing, exhibited lower vitamin and mineral levels than the recommended daily intake. The decrease in polyphenols and antioxidant capacity was notable, with rye flour experiencing the largest decline (15%). Mineral analysis showed copper levels in decorticated wheat decreased by 82.5%, while iron in rye decreased by 5.63%. Soy flour consistently displayed the highest calcium, magnesium, and potassium levels, whereas oat flour had the highest zinc and copper levels before and after heat processing. The study highlights the concerningly low vitamins and minerals contents in cereals, as well as in the final products reaching consumers in the Western part of Romania, and contributes to the assessment of measures that are meant to improve the contents of these minerals.
