effect of soaked bran, wheat malt flour and sourdough on reducing phytic acid in barbari bread

individual daily requirements recommend 25-35 g dietary fiber to maintain overall health and aid digestion. dietary fiber exists in fruits and vegetables, but can also be obtained by adding wheat bran to bread. wheat bran, however, contains high levels of phytic acid that is known to chelate iron, calcium, zinc, and magnesium and form complex phytic acid cations that reduce their bioavailability in food. if the phytic acid content of wheat bran can be reduced, it can be a rich source of fiber with no harmful effects. in this study, soaking wheat bran in water, and adding sourdough or malt powder were tested for their effects on reducing phytic acid. results showed that all treatments significantly reduced phytic acid in dough and bread over the control. the lowest and highest phytic acid contents were for 4% malt powder and the control, respectively. the use of 4% malt powder, however, damaged bread quality, thus, 10% sourdough and 2% malt powder were selected as the best treatments.