Germination in improving the nutrition, health benefits and processing of highland barley

Summary Barley has played a critical role in mankind civilisation. Despite being underexploited, highland barley (HB) is an economical crop demonstrating superior nutritional and health benefits compared to most common cereals. In recent years, germination has drawn a great attention because of its ability to increase nutrients in grains. This review aimed to elucidate the implication of germination in improving the qualities of HB. Because of germination, amelioration in nutrients and digestibility was observed in germinated HB (GHB) than ungerminated HB, due to activation of various enzymes. An increase in polyphenols and antioxidant activity was achieved in GHB. GHB‐based products exhibited better water‐holding capacity, water solubility index, oil‐holding capacity, sensory attributes and cooking time. However, excessive germination may have negative impact on starch‐protein network, which might be detrimental during food processing. Overall, controlled‐germination could be a viable approach to improve the digestibility, palatability, acceptability and shelf‐life of HB‐based products.