Extraction, purification and characterization of an antioxidant extract from barley husks and development of an antioxidant active film for food package

The use of barley husks is optimized to obtain a crude extract antioxidant. The raw extracts presents an EC50 value of 1.39 g/L, showing more than twice higher antioxidant capacity than BHT in terms of EC50. The crude extract antioxidant has a high content of p-coumaric and ferulic acid. The fractionation process used allowed to obtain fractions with very different antioxidant activities. The results of EC50 have demonstrated the efficacy of a natural antioxidant extract obtained from barley husks useful as an antioxidant agent. The antioxidant extract was used to develop an antioxidant active packaging. Overall migrations of the extract from the film of LDPE-raw extract were negligible into water and fat simulant. The extract dosed on the surface of the film shows and maintains an excellent antioxidant capacity and is not separated from film in aqueous or oily media, so these can be used in a wide type of food.Industrial relevanceThe use of barley husks, which is a residue of the brewing process unwieldy and unhelpful, is optimized to obtain a crude extract antioxidant. Natural extracts of phenolic compounds with high antioxidant activity were obtained after prehydrolysis and delignification of barley husks. The raw extracts show more than twice higher antioxidant capacity than BHT in terms of EC50. The crude extract antioxidant has an important feature of high content of p-coumaric and ferulic acid. The results demonstrated the efficacy of an active packaging with a natural antioxidant derived from barley husks. The extract dosed on the surface of the film shows and maintains an excellent antioxidant capacity and is not separated from film in aqueous or oily media, so these can be used in a wide type of food.

► Natural antioxidant derived from barley husks.
► Optimal extraction condition.
► Fractionation process used allowed to obtain fractions with very different antioxidant activities.
► The extract dosed on the surface of the film shows and maintains an excellent antioxidant capacity.
► Adding value to the barley husks will reduce the environmental impact of beer fabrication.