Effect of Sprouting Temperature on Durum Wheat (Triticum Durum) Sprouts Nutritional Properties and Bioactive Compounds

Sprouting is an old food engineering tool to improve edible seeds nutritional value. It can improve carbohydrate digestibility and enhance levels of bioactive compounds. These changes are strongly related to sprouting conditions: temperature, light, duration. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of sprouting temperature on sprouts bioactive molecules and proximate composition of Chili Tunisian durum wheat (Triticum durum) seeds. Hence, two temperatures were tested: 18°C and 25°C. Analysis of ashes, proteins, lipids, reducing sugars, carotenoids, vitamin C, vitamin E, and total phenols contents and DPPH radical scavenging activity were done. Our results indicated that temperature influenced significantly proximate composition of sprouts, as well as bioactive compounds. Vitamin C and tocopherols levels were higher at 25°C, than in raw seeds. In contrast, a temperature of 18°C led to highest amounts of carotenoids and total phenols. In addition, antioxidant properties of durum wheat seeds were improved by sprouting only at 18°C. In conclusion, evolution of nutritional properties and bioactive compounds in sprouts were strongly dependent on sprouting temperature used.