ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY OF BARLEY AND MALT - RELATIONSHIP WITH PHENOLIC CONTENT

One way to naturally inhibit the oxidative deterioration of beer would involve protecting the antioxidants present in barley (mainly polyphe nols) during the malting process. Depending on the variety, the antiox idant activity of barley is not negligible. Its relationship with the content of the three main phenolic groups (flavan-3-ols, hydroxycinnam ic derivatives and flavonols), determined by an new ultraviolet spectr ophotometric method, is proposed. It increases during malting probably not only by the modification or releasing of phenolic compounds, but also by the formation of new antioxidants, such as Maillard reaction p roducts.