Abstract
The influence of hydrogen-rich water (HRW) on the antioxidant activity and its inherent mechanism were investigated during barley malting. The antioxidant activity was evaluated with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, 2,2’-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) (ABTS) radical cation scavenging activity, reducing power, and metal chelating activity. Our results revealed that HRW (1.2 mg/L) significantly increased the antioxidant activity of malt, which was supported by the finding that HRW could effectively promote the synthesis of phenolic substances. Furthermore, HRW treatment enhanced the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) and decreased the activity of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) in malt. Thus, our research demonstrated that HRW can be used to produce malt to increase its antioxidant activity effectively.