Effect of microwave roasting on antioxidant and anticancerous activities of barley flour

The antioxidant and anticancerous activities of native and microwave roasted barley flour were compared in three different solvents (methanol, ethanol and water) using various antioxidant assays. The extracting solvents significantly affected the antioxidant potential and inhibition of DNA damage capabilities of barley flour extracts. Among the different solvents methanol was found to be the most suitable for extraction, as the extracts showed highest antioxidant as well as anticancerous activities and also prevented DNA damage to the maximum extent. Microwave roasting resulted in a mixed response toward the antioxidant potential of barley, as % inhibition of DPPH and reducing power increased while all other parameters such as OH radical scavenging activity, H2O2 radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content showed a decrease. An increase of 13.24% in methanol, 8.14% in ethanol, and 6% in water was reported in case of DPPH & an increase of 21.37% in methanol, 21.43% in ethanol, and 15.23% in water was seen in case of reducing power as a result of roasting. A decrease of 34.39%, 121.477%, and 50% in TPC values was reported as a result of microwave roasting for Methanolic, Ethanolic and Aqueous extracts, respectively. However, all the tests showed an overall increase in a dose dependent manner as the concentration of extracts increased. Roasting also resulted in a decrease in the anticancerous potential and the inhibition of DNA damage by the barley extracts irrespective of the solvents used. The anti-proliferative activities of the native and microwave roasted barley flour extracts were tested on Colo-205, T47D and MCF7 cell lines. Barley flour extracts inhibited cancer cell growth which was more for native barley flour (39.81%) than roasted barley flour (22.91%).