Quantification of benzoxazinoids and their metabolites in Nordic breads

Benzoxazinoids (Bx) and their metabolites are molecules with suggested health effects in humans, found in cereal grains and consequently in cereal foods. However, to date little is known about the amount of Bx in our diet. In this study, deuterated standards 2-hydroxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one (HBOA-d₄) and 2-hydroxy-N-(2-hydroxyphenyl) acetamide (HHPAA-d₄) were synthesized, to allow quantification of nine Bx and their metabolites in 30 breads and flours from Nordic countries by UHPLC-MS/MS. Samples containing rye had larger amounts of Bx (143-3560µg/g DM) than the ones containing wheat (11-449µg/g DM). More Bx were found in whole grain wheat (57-449µg/g DM) compared to refined wheat (11-92µg/g DM) breads. Finnish sourdough rye breads were notably high in their 2-hydroxy-N-(2-hydroxyphenyl) acetamide (HHPAA) concentration (40-48µg/g DM). This new information on Bx content in flours and breads available in the Nordic countries will be useful for future work on determining dietary exposure to Bx.