Content of nutrients and lignans in roller milled fractions of rye

Rye grain was roller milled into six flour fractions (607 g kg^‐1), a short (341 g kg^‐1) and a bran (52 g kg^‐1) in a Bühler laboratory mill. In the different flours (F1–F6) a progressive increase in ash (4–13 g kg^‐1), crude protein (39–87 g kg^‐1) and crude fat (5–17 g kg^‐1) concentration was found and a corresponding decrease in starch (853–699 g kg^‐1) concentration. Total dietary fibre (55–109 g kg^‐1) constituents and the lignans, matairesinol (0·05–0·22 mg kg^‐1) and secoisolariciresinol (0·21–0·38 mg kg^‐1), showed a different distribution with a maximal concentration in F5. The short and bran had higher concentrations of ash, crude protein, crude fat, dietary fibre components and lignans but a lower concentration of starch than the flours. Compared to the short, the bran contained more of all constituents analysed except mixed‐linked β‐glucan and starch. A very high proportion of total dietary fibre components of the rye, such as arabinoxylan (72%), cellulose (76%) and Klason lignin (79%) as well as of matairesinol (87%) and secoisolariciresinol (73%), was found in the short and bran together.