## 3 Results
### Functional and Technological Indicators  
#### 3.2.1 Water and Oil Absorption Capacities  
The water absorption capacity (WAC) and oil absorption capacity (OAC) of triticale are presented in Figure 3. Both WAC and OAC increased as germination progressed from WGT to GT20. The maximum water and oil absorption capacities were observed at GT20 germination, with 0.69 g/g and 0.91 g/g, respectively. After 20 h of germination, both values showed a slight decrease: WAC decreased to 0.65-0.66 g/g, and OAC to 0.88-0.90 g/g. This may be related to the enzymatic degradation of macromolecules (particularly proteins and cellular structures), which reduces the material's ability to retain moisture and oil. Based on the data obtained in Figure 3, we propose the following hypothesis: the optimal germination time for triticale, GT 20, activates metabolic processes and increases the grain's water and oil absorption capacities. However, with further extension of the germination time, a slight decrease in both parameters was observed, which limits the grain's ability to retain water and oil. The analysis of the dynamics of water and oil absorption capacity depending on germination time showed a consistent increase in the parameters up to 20 h, followed by a moderate decrease. All the studied time points (GT18, GT20, GT22, and GT24) corresponded to this trend: an increase in WAC and OAC in the early stages of germination and a decline in these parameters after 20 h. No deviations from this pattern were noted. However, considering the close values of WAC and OAC at GT 20-24 stages and the possible overlap of standard deviations, the decrease after 20 h may be statistically insignif \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline \hline
**Germination Time, h** & **Dynamics of Total Phenolic Content (TPC)** & **Dynamics of DPPH Radical-Scavenging** \\  & **During Germination: TPC, mg/100 g** & **Activity, DPPH Activity During** \\ \hline WGT & 42 \(\pm\) 0.283 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 380 \(\pm\) 0.425 \({}^{\text{a}}\) \\ \hline GT18 & 49 \(\pm\) 0.424 \({}^{\text{b}}\) & 457 \(\pm\) 0.290 \({}^{\text{b}}\) \\ \hline GT20 & 51 \(\pm\) 0.560 \({}^{\text{b}}\) & 458 \(\pm\) 0.324 \({}^{\text{c}}\) \\ \hline GT22 & 52 \(\pm\) 0.490 \({}^{\text{c}}\) & 458 \(\pm\) 0.291 \({}^{\text{c}}\) \\ \hline GT24 & 54 \(\pm\) 0.286 \({}^{\text{c}}\) & 459 \(\pm\) 0.191 \({}^{\text{d}}\) \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Results are expressed as mean values \(\pm\) standard deviations. Means in a row followed by different letters are significantly different (\(p\)\(\leq\) 0.05).  
\end{table} 
Table 4: Total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity (DPPH) in germinated triticale samples. icant. This indicates the relative stability of the functional properties of the grain in the 20-24 h range, which could be helpful in selecting the optimal germination window in production practices. The obtained results align with previous studies [12; 52], which reported an increase in water absorption capacity due to the formation of compounds with high water retention ability, such as soluble sugars, which increase the number of available hydrophilic centers interacting with water molecules [119; 120]. The observed increase in water retention capacity during the early stages of germination can be associated with the accumulation of soluble sugars, which have high hydrophilicity, and increased hydration of cellular components [52]. During this process, protein structures unfold, exposing additional hydrophilic sites capable of binding water [121; 122]. Similar changes have been previously recorded for cereals in general [123], which is consistent with the results of this study. However, by the time 22 h of germination was reached, the water retention capacity began to decrease, likely due to the subsequent degradation of macromolecules and their metabolic redistribution, a reduction in polysaccharide content, and partial loss of water-binding components.