Analysis of nutritional components in the bran of debranned wheat and comparison with endosperm flour

Compared to ordinary white wheat, colored wheat has an enhanced nutritional profile, with nutrients primarily distributed in the bran layers. In this study, debranning technology was utilized to regulate debranning times and selectively debranned outer layer, middle layer, and aleurone layer of colored wheat bran to analyze the distribution of nutrients within these layers. Iron, selenium, zinc, and calcium in the bran of black wheat were more than five times higher than in the flour. Iron and calcium were concentrated in the outer layer of the bran, while selenium and zinc were mainly found in the aleurone layer. Pigment compounds and total phenolics were distributed in the middle layer of the wheat bran, with the anthocyanin content in this layer being over 20 times higher than that in the flour. The majority of dietary fiber was found in the endosperm layer. The outer layer of the bran was dominant in iron, selenium, and dietary fiber. The middle layer had higher levels of lutein, alkylresorcinols, and anthocyanins, while the aleurone layer featured a more even distribution of nutritional components. This article provides theoretical support for incorporating nutrient-rich bran layers into flour in future applications.