Research Progress and Development Directions of Whole Grain Bioprocessing

Whole grain foods are known to be beneficial to health, however, the factors including poor processing characteristics and sensory attributes, limit industry development of whole grain. At present, several physical treatments have been shown to improve the processing and edible characteristics of whole grain. However, there are still technical limitations in the improvement of flavor quality and retention of nutritional components of whole grains. In this background, extensive research has shown that bioprocessing technologies can modified the molecular structure, physical and chemical properties of whole grains by exogenous and endogenous enzyme. These changes can markedly elevate nutrient content and bioavailability of whole grains, and improve sensory attributes of whole grains foods. Bioprocessing involves fermentation, sprouting, enzymatic hydrolysis and other technologies, which is regarded as a major modification mean of whole grain processing in the future. This article aimed to comprehensively review the applications of bioprocessing technologies in whole grains. The application of fermentation, sprouting and enzymatic hydrolysis, which were mainly used in whole grain processing, were introduced in this paper. The advantages of three bioprocessing technologies in improving the nutritional efficacy, sensory attributes and reducing anti—nutritional factors of whole grains were discussed. Furthermore, future perspectives in whole grain bioprocessing technologies and product development are discussed. The study can provide references for the future development of whole grain industry in China. © 2024 Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology. All rights reserved.