Composition Of Bran Research Articles

Comparison of gamma–Irradiation and enzyme supplementation to eliminate antinutritional factors in rice bran in broiler chicken diets

A study was conducted to evaluate the effect of gamma irradiation and enzyme supplementation of crude rice bran in broiler chicken diet and their effects on growth performance, carcass characteristics, intestinal microbial population, and blood profile in broiler chickens. A total of 144 one–day–old Ross 308 broiler chickens were weighed and assigned to 3 dietary treatments with 4 replicates (floor pen) of 12 broiler chickens per pen. Dietary treatments consisted of a basal diet formulated to contain 15% crude rice bran (with or without enzyme supplementation) and the diet containing 15% gamma-irradiated rice bran. The chemical changes of crude and gamma-irradiated rice bran were determined before feeding experiment. At the end of the experiment (d 42), growth performance, ileum microflora, and blood profile in broiler chickens were determined. Proximate composition of rice bran was not affected by gamma irradiation, but the contents of phytic acid and trypsin inhibitor decreased (up to 98%; P<0.05). The use of gamma-irradiated rice bran improved (P < 0.05) the body weight gain than crude rice bran. Moreover, broiler chickens on gamma-irradiated rice bran treatment had greater (14.9%) body weight gain compared to the enzyme supplementation. Although, none of the treatments had a major effect on the carcass percentage, the breast percentage (22.4%) increased (P < 0.05) because of the enzyme supplementation compared to those (18.5%) of broiler chickens on crude rice bran diet. The relative weight of liver and abdominal fat pad decreased (P < 0.05) by feeding of gamma–irradiated rice bran than the enzyme supplemented diet. Lower numbers (P < 0.05) of salmonella were found in the ileum of broiler chickens fed gamma-irradiated rice bran when compared to the use of the enzyme supplemented diet. Blood profile was not affected by the treatments. The results indicated that gamma irradiation could be a more effective method to reduce the content of antinutritional factors in crude rice bran than enzyme supplementation and improve growth performance and health of broiler chickens.

Composition and functionality of wheat bran and its application in some cereal food products

SummaryProduction of wheat bran (WB) for human consumption is estimated to be about 90 million tonnes per year. WB is a cheap and abundant source of dietary fibre which has been linked to improved bowel health and possible prevention of some diseases such as colon cancer. It also contains minerals, vitamins and bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids, arabinoxylans, alkylresorcinol and phytosterols. These compounds have been suggested as an aid in prevention of noncommunicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease. This article discusses WB extraction, its nutritional properties, potential health benefits, effects on quality and sensory properties of some cereal foods, and its application in some baked products as well as in fried cereal snacks, as an additive for oil reduction and fibre enrichment.

HPLC-DAD System-Based Phenolic Content Analysis andIn VitroAntioxidant Activities of Rice Bran Obtained from Aush Dhan (Oryza Sativa) of Bangladesh

Food fibers are recently gaining interest in the scientific community for their beneficial role in various diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. Rice bran is an important source of food fibers. The objective of this study was to determine the presence of polyphenolic compounds in rice bran of Aush Dhan and determine the in vitro antioxidant activities in different extracts such as ethanol, ethylacetate and toluene extracts. Various antioxidant assays, including DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging, nitric oxide scavenging, hydrogen peroxide, reducing power, total phenolic content and total flavonoid content, were studied. Moreover, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds. The extracts showed effective DPPH free radical, hydrogen peroxide radical and nitric oxide scavenging activities. However, reducing power was not significant compared with the standard antioxidant ascorbic acid. Phytochemical analysis shows that rice bran contains reducing sugar, flavonoids and tannins. Furthermore, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detector (HPLC-DAD) analysis showed that rice bran contains high amount of rutin hydrate along with epicatechin, which are strong natural antioxidants. These results suggest that rice bran contains high amount of antioxidants, which may be used as a source of polyphenolic compounds and can be used to treat chronic disease. Practical Applications Rice bran is produced every year in an enormous amount in Bangladesh as it is one of the largest producers of rice in the world. Rice bran is used in poultry and cattle farm as animal feed. Recently, it is also used to produce cooking oil and serves as an important ingredient in traditional medicine system in Bangladesh. The assessment of the antioxidant properties, phenolic content and composition of rice bran obtained from Aus Dhan (Oryza sativa) may give insight into their applications in functional foods and nutraceutical development.

Processing and Nutritional Composition of Rice Bran

Rice bran is a component of raw rice that is obtained when it is removed from the starchy endosperm in the rice milling process. Processing was carried out by using microwave and probiotic treatment. The study revealed that rice bran was stabilized by microwave heating (2450MHz for 3min). Stabilized rice bran was inoculated with Lactic Acid Bacillus culture and used as probiotic treated rice bran. Free fatty acid percentage of stabilized rice bran ranged from 4.10 to 7.50 from initial to 4th week and in probiotic treated rice bran it was 4.35 to 7.95 up to 4 weeks of storage period. Functional properties of rice bran were analyzed for stabilized and probiotic treated rice bran i.e. bulk density (0.22-0.38g/ml), water absorption (2-3ml/g), oil absorption (1.5-2.5ml/g), water solubility (7.3-8.0%) and swelling power (6.7-7.2%) respectively. Macronutrient composition of stabilized and probiotic treated rice bran for moisture, protein, fat, ash and carbohydrate were 4.30 and 5.40, 17.50 and 19.25, 13.10 and 17.20, 4.92 and 4.64, 52.33 and 48.55 g/100g respectively and it contained 7.85 and 4.96 g crude fibre, 21.17 and 13.10 g insoluble dietary fibre, 2.17 and 1.80g soluble dietary fibre and 23.34 and 14.90g total dietary fibre. Mineral content of stabilized and probiotic treated rice bran for calcium, phosphorous, iron and zinc were 52.10 and 49.90, 1185.20 and 1186.50, 28.10 and 30.05, 6.02 and 5.89 mg/100g respectively. Processing helps in destroying the lipolytic activity using microwave stabilizing technology, which increases the shelf life of rice bran and improves the nutrient content.

Distribution of Minerals in Wheat Grains (Triticum aestivum L.) and in Roller Milling Fractions Affected by Pearling.

The distribution of minerals in (pearled) wheat grains was measured by synchrotron X-ray fluorescence, and the impact of pearling (0, 3, 6, 9, and 12% by weight) on the mineral composition of flour, shorts, and bran was identified by ICP-MS. The xylem mobile elements (Mn, Si, Ca, and Sr) dominated in the outermost bran layers, while the phloem mobile elements (K, Mg, P, Fe, Zn, and Cu) were more concentrated in the aleurone. Pearling lowered the concentrations of xylem mobile elements and increased the concentrations of most phloem mobile elements in the pearled grains. Molybdenum, Cd, and especially Se were more evenly distributed, and pearling affected their concentrations in milling products less. Pearling (3%) increased the concentration of several nutrients (P, Zn, Cu) in the flour because the bran fractions reaching the flour are enriched in aleurone. The correlations of concentrations of Mg, Fe, Zn, and Cu with that of P suggested their association with phytate.

Structure, chemical composition and enzymatic activities of pearlings and bran obtained from pearled wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by roller milling

While abrasive pearling (also referred to as debranning) of wheat kernels prior to milling increases the quality of the resultant flour for producing bread, the potential applications of the co-products of pearling is largely unknown. We studied the impact of different degrees of pearling (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12% by weight) on the composition of pearlings and bran obtained when subsequently roller milling pearled wheat kernels. Pearling does not remove the kernel outer tissues homogeneously as abrasion affects especially the accessible parts of the kernels. Nevertheless, the first 3% removed consisted of mainly pericarp. With 6% or more removed, a significant amount of starchy endosperm ended up in the pearlings. The starting bran material and bran obtained by subsequent roller milling of pearled wheat kernels had similar compositions but the latter had a lower average particle size. Moreover, removal of the outermost kernel layers substantially decreased the enzyme activity levels in the bran.

An Investigation on the Preparation of Containing Low Caloric Biscuits with Supplementation of Dietary Fiber

This research was conducted to find out the effect of wheat bran, rice bran, corboxy methyl cellulose (CMC) and guar gum supplementation on the quality of whole wheat flour biscuits. The proximate composition of whole wheat flour (WWF), wheat bran (WB) and rice bran (RB) were 9.0, 11.30, and 7.00% moisture, 7.19, 12.61 and 14.80% crude protein, 1.92, 3.79, and 2.29% crude fat, 0.36, 4.78 and 9.96% ash, 1.97, 12.7 and 14.2% crude fiber and 75.95, 67.52 and 65.95% NFE respectively. Biscuits were prepared by adding this bran’s @ 4 to 8% and CMC and guar gum @ 0.14% in WWF. The samples were prepared as Bo (control), B1 96%WWF+4%WB, B2 92%WWF+8%WB, B3 96%WWF+4%RB, B4 92%WWF+8%RB, B5 96%WWF+4% WB + 0.14% CMC, B6 96%WWF+4% WB +0.14 % guar gum, B7 96%WWF+4% RB + 0.14 CMC and B8 96%WWF+4%RB +0.14% guar gum. The moisture content (%) increased in WB (from 2.71 to 2.87) and RB (from 2.69 to 2.78) supplemented biscuits, while decrease was recorded in CMC (from 2.82 to 2.62) and guar gum (from 2.69 to 2.58) respectively. Protein content (%) increased in WB (from 5.09 to 5.51) and RB (from 5.17 to 5.61) supplemented biscuits, while decrease was recorded in CMC (from 5.44 to 5.35) and guar gum (from 5.33 to 5.08) respectively. The NFE content (%) decreased in WB (from 65.39 to 59.0) and RB (66.74 to 66.09) supplemented biscuits, while it is increased in CMC (from 64.05 to 64.69) and guar gum (from 64.42 to 65.17) respectively. The moisture, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, ash content and NFE were significantly (p<0.05) influenced by the level of supplementation. The physical analysis i.e. width and spread factor decreased by increasing the levels of bran, CMC and guar gum, while thickness increased by increasing levels of bran and decreased in CMC and guar gum supplementation. There was significant difference in the mean scores for sensory evaluation of the biscuit (p<0.05).

Growth Performance , Haematology and Meat Quality of Broiler Chickens Fed Rumen Liquor-Fermented Wheat Bran-Based Diets = دراسة لأداء النمو و قيم الدم و نوعية اللحوم في فراخ اللحم المغذي على عليقة تحتوي على نخالة القمح المعالجة بعصارة الكرش

The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition of wheat bran fermented with rumen liquor and its effect on performance and meat quality of broiler chickens. Wheat Bran (WB) was fermented using rumen liquor as source of microbes for 3 days. The unfermented and fermented WB were used to formulate experimental diets at 0, 10, 20 and 30% to give 7 dietary treatments. Two hundred and ten 4-week old Hubbard chicks were allocated to the treatments in a completely randomized design. After the 3-day fermentation, crude protein content was 15.33 and 16.82% for unfermented and fermented WB, respectively. Final weight, total weight gain and feed conversion ratio were not (P > 0.05) influenced by dietary treatments. The diets promoted similar carcass, meat and haematological characteristics. In summary, fermented wheat bran can be included in broiler-chicken finisher diets without significant adverse effects on their performance, haematology and meat quality.

Organically vs conventionally grown winter wheat: Effects on grain yield, technological quality, and on phenolic composition and antioxidant properties of bran and refined flour

Since organic food is widely assumed to have a better nutritional quality than conventional food, our aim was to study the effects of organic vs conventional cropping systems on yield and the phenolic composition of winter wheat cv. ‘Bologna’. Although organic wheat yielded less than conventional wheat, mainly due to the nitrogen shortage, and its bread-making quality was lower, the cultivation system did not affect the total amounts of phenolics and phenolic acids. Of the eight phenolic acids identified, only ferulic acid was influenced by the cultivation system. Phenolic composition and quantity were significantly affected by the milling fraction (bran or white flour): phenolics were more concentrated in the bran, which showed the highest antioxidant power. Under the conditions adopted in this study, an organic cropping system can maintain or even increase the health properties of the wheat milled products, provided a reduction in grain yield is accepted.

Chemical composition of feed resources in Bihar

Feeding system of livestock depends on the availability of crop residues and by-products and pasture and grasses on common property resources. The present work was, therefore, taken up to assess the proximate compositions of commonly available feed stuffs in Bihar. Feed samples were collected from 40 households of 4 villages of north Bihar and 40 households of four villages of south Bihar. The average DM content of cereal crop as well as the leguminous crop residues varied between 89 and 93%. The chemical compositions of cereal crop residues revealed that the CP content was very low varied between 2.9 and 3.4% while fibre content was very high and varied between 32 and 37%. The CP content in grain and pulses used for feeding of livestock varied from 8 to 18% with highest value in gram flour. The wheat and rice bran and pulses chunies constitute the larger part of the dairy ration. The chemical composition of pulses chunies and bran depicts that they contained 14 to 15 and 10 to 14% CP, respectively. Horticulture waste contains 5 to 19% CP and 2 to 4% EE. Three types of oil-cakes are used for feeding livestock. All over the state, mustard cake is used as primary source of protein. Linseed-cake is only used for feeding dairy cow and buffalo. The chemical compositions revealed that the oil-cakes contained 31 to 33% protein and 3 to 8% EE. The present study revealed that available fodder resources had good nutritional values. However, energy values and mineral contents of feed resources have to be worked out for better understanding ofnutrients intake.

Chemical composition and effects of micronized corn bran on iron bioavailability in rats

The degermination of corn grains by dry milling generates 5% of a fibrous residue. After segregation and micronization, corn bran becomes a potential source of dietary fiber consumption. However, its effect on iron bioavailability has not been reported in the literature. The objective of the present study was to determine the nutritional composition of corn bran and its effects on iron bioavailability using the hemoglobin depletion-repletion method in rats. The animals were divided into two groups: cellulose (control) and corn bran (experimental). The bran had high content of total dietary fiber, especially the insoluble fraction, and low phytate content. Hemoglobin uptake did not differ between groups at the end of repletion period, and the iron relative bioavailability value of the corn bran diet was 104% in comparison to that of the control group. The product evaluated proved to be a potential source of dietary fiber and it showed no negative effects on iron bioavailability.

The effect of infrared stabilisation on B vitamins, phenolics and antioxidants in rice bran

SummaryThe effects of ten successful infrared stabilisation conditions on the content of proximate composition, dietary fibre, phytate, B vitamins, phenolics and antioxidants of rice bran were investigated. The moisture and phytate content significantly decreased in stabilised rice brans while no significant change was observed in crude fat, protein, ash and soluble and insoluble dietary fibre. Among the evaluated B vitamins, solely the content of thiamine was decreased up to 42% while the level of riboflavin, niacin, and total B6 vitamin was not affected from infrared stabilisation (P &gt; 0.05). The insoluble extracts contained more phenolics and antioxidants that did the soluble fractions. The effect of infrared stabilisation on the content of the phenolics and antioxidants in bound extracts was insignificant (P &gt; 0.05). In conclusion, the authors suggest that infrared radiation can be used as a rice bran stabilisation method without causing a significant loss in the nutrients with the exception of thiamine.

The Effect of Bioprocessing on the Phenolic Acid Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Wheat Bran

ABSTRACTIn the present study, bioprocessing with eight microbial strains including Bacillus species, yeasts, and filamentous fungi was evaluated for its potential to improve the phenolic acid composition and antioxidant activity of wheat bran. The soluble free and soluble conjugated fractions of ethanolic extracts of the treated bran samples were compared for their total phenolic contents, phenolic acid composition, and in vitro antioxidant activities. In general, total phenolic content in the soluble free fraction increased significantly, accounting for 241.11 ± 1.25 μg of gallic acid equivalents (GE)/g (Rhizopus oryzae), 230.50 ± 1.05 μg of GE/g (Mucor circinelloides), and 230.19 ± 1.02 μg of GE/g (Saccharomycopsis fibuligera). The phenolic acid composition, especially of the soluble free fraction, was improved most by S. fibuligera (hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, syringic, and trans‐ferulic acids), M. circinelloides (chlorogenic acid), and R. oryzae (protocatechuic, trans‐coumaric, and benzoic acids). Comparatively, bioprocessing exhibited less effectiveness on conjugated phenolic acid composition. Fermented wheat bran displayed enhanced reducing capacity, superoxide anion radical scavenging activity, and 1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity in comparison with the nonfermented sample. The antioxidant activity was significantly correlated to the total phenolic content.

Rice Bran/Poly(lactic acid) Composites in Packaging Product

This research work was carried out on the production of rice bran/poly (lactic acid) (PLA) composites. The composition during the batch molding process included rice bran, PLA, glycerol, and magnesium stearate (mold released agent). Afterwards, the composition was molded by bio-compression at temperature of 170°C for 5 min, and a pressure range of 50-100 kg/cm3. The result showed that the composition of rice bran, PLA, and glycerol could be used in the formation of food packaging. Also the mechanical properties, such as compressive strength and hardness, were investigated. It could be concluded that the most appropriate formulation of rice bran packaging was 5 phr PLA and 3 phr glycerol and 2 phr magnesium stearate. Moreover, FTIR results indicated the non-toxic nature of this method of food packaging.

Assessment of the quality of bran and bran oil produced from some Egyptian rice varieties

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the leading food crops of the world, the staple food of over half the world's population. The bran, which is an important byproduct obtained during rice milling, constitutes about 1/10 of the weight of the rice grain. Rice bran is the outer brown layer including the rice germ that is removed during the milling process of brown grain. This milling byproduct is reported to be high in natural vitamins and minerals, particularly vitamin E. The present study was conducted to determine the chemical composition of bran and bran oil of 13 different rice varieties commonly produced in Egypt, to study the utilization of rice bran in bread production, and to assess the quality and acceptance of the rice bran edible oil produced. Rice bran was produced from 13 Egyptian varieties of recently harvested rice as well as from paddy rice stored for 1 year. The extracted bran was immediately stabilized then subjected to chemical analysis (such as moisture content, protein, fat, carbohydrates, fiber, and ash) as well as trace and heavy metals determination (P, K, Na, Ca, Fe, Zn, Cu, and Mg). Bread was produced by adding Giza172 rice bran at three different concentrations to wheat flour then subjected to chemical analysis, caloric content, and organoleptic examination. Bran oil was extracted from the different varieties of rice bran (recently harvested and stored) then subjected to chemical and organoleptic examinations as well as vitamin E and oryzanol determination. The percentage of rice bran of newly harvested Egyptian rice was 11.68% and was 10.97% in stored rice. The analysis showed mean values of 5.91 and 5.53% for moisture, 14.60 and 14.40% for crude protein, 14.83 and 15.20% for fat, 44.77 and 45.40% for carbohydrates, 6.55 and 7.06% for crude fiber, and 8.87 and 8.50% for ash for newly harvested and stored rice bran, respectively. Bread containing 15% rice bran showed the highest score percentages for organoleptic quality compared with the control (100% wheat flour). Rice bran oil showed higher scores of taste, smell, appearance, and texture than corn oil and sunflower oil. Rice bran contains high nutritional components as well as phytochemicals such as vitamin E (i.e. tocopherols and tocotrienols) and the γ-oryzanol fraction that have positive effects on human health. Storage of paddy rice before milling resulted in significant effect on all studied rice bran characters and rice bran oil characters under the present investigation except crude protein and carbohydrates characters. Substitution of wheat flour with rice bran by 15% in bread production to fortify the bread with vitamin E and to reduce the amount of imported flour is recommended.

Stability and antioxidant activity of alkyresorcinols in breads enriched with hard and soft wheat brans

Alkylresorcinols (ARs) are phenolic lipids that are mostly found in rye and wheat brans. In this study, the stability of AR content and homologue composition of hard red wheat bran (HRWB) and soft red wheat bran (SRWB) were studied, using four different bread formulations. ARs in wheat bran samples were extracted with four different solvents whereas ARs in breads were extracted with hot 1-propanol and quantified using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The different formulas used in four bread trial were: A) 100% white flour (control breads), B) 30% wheat bran, C) 30% residue bran after AR extraction, and D) 30% wheat bran plus 2% crude AR extract. AR content in breads varied from 1.1 to 82.9mg/100g and showed that they were heat stable during baking. After 1h cooling, all breads showed significantly different (P<0.05) inner temperature, height and weight compared to control bread. Furthermore, bread D showed a better height than breads B and C (P<0.05). The effects of baking on total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity were also determined. A positive correlation was observed between oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and TPC (R2=0.89).

Nutritional composition of rice bran submitted to different stabilization procedures

In order to inactivate enzymatic deterioration, whole rice bran samples were subjected to two stabilization methods. Changes in nutritional value in terms of, concerning chemical composition, minerals and fatty acid content, were evaluated to supplement existing data and promote the utilization of rice bran in the human diet. The following homemade heat treatments were applied: roasting on a conventional stove or heating in a microwave oven. Based on the results, the different heating methods affected sample composition, since the levels of some nutrients of treated samples showed significant changes (p&lt;0.05) compared to corresponding raw samples. The rice bran treated on a conventional stove produced products with lower moisture (5.14±0.10 g/100 g) and nutrients such as sodium 11.8%; palmitic acid 9.9% and stearic acid 8.1%. The microwave oven procedure resulted in better nutrient preservation, with slightly higher moisture content (6.28±0.10 g/100 g), and appears to be a practical and rapid tool for home heat stabilization of rice bran.

Determination of flavor components of rice bran by GC-MS and chemometrics

The flavor composition of rice bran was investigated using solid-phase microextraction (SPME), which was selected from four extraction methods. Additionally, static headspace extraction (SHS), accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE), followed by GC-MS analysis with the help of heuristic evolving latent projections (HELP) were also used. The effects of the most important factors, including fiber coating, extraction time, and temperature of SPME, on the flavor components of rice bran were studied. Qualitative analysis of the flavor components was obtained by a mass spectra similarity search using pure mass spectra resolved by HELP with the aid of automated mass spectral deconvolution and identification system (AMDIS) software and temperature-programmed retention indices (PTRIs), while quantitative analysis was conducted using the overall volume integration (OVI) technique. A total of 43 out of 76 compounds were tentatively identified, accounting for 82.76% of the total flavor compounds. The flavor compounds were mainly esters, alkanes, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, and fatty acids, with a composition of 22.24%, 22.16%, 17.75%, 9.06%, 5.72%, and 4.18%, respectively. Together, these results indicate that analyzing the rice bran flavor profile may be more reasonable than solely monitoring free fatty acids for understanding, evaluating and controlling the instability of rice bran.

Antioxidant activity of sesame, rice bran and bene hull oils and their unsaponifiable matters

AbstractChemical composition of sesame (SEO), rice bran (RBO) and bene hull (BHO) oils was determined. During oven test, peroxide value on day 8 (PV8, meq/kg) and carbonyl value on day 6 (CV6, µmol/g) were considered as measures of resistance to the formation of primary and secondary oxidation products, respectively. The SEO and BHO showed statistically the same PV8 (381.4 and 359.8, respectively) and CV6 (25.2 and 25.8, respectively), and their stabilizing effect was significantly better than that of the RBO (455.5 and 32.7, respectively). The unsaponifiable matters (USM) fraction of the BHO (443.7 and 26.8, respectively) had an antioxidative effect higher than those of the SEO (478.0 and 38.6, respectively) and RBO (482.4 and 37.4, respectively). There was a good correlation (R2 = 0.972) between the PV8 and CV6 throughout oxidation period. On the basis of the oxidative stability index (OSI, h) of Rancimat test, the best carry‐through properties belonged to the SEO (6.92 h), followed by the RBO (6.12 h) and BHO (5.0 h), and also a similar order was observed for the USM fractions (5.89, 5.28 and 4.50 h, respectively). There was no correlation between the results of Rancimat and oven tests, showing that the powerful antioxidative agents under oven test conditions were lack of appropriate carry‐through properties. The highest significant reducing power (mmol/L) belonged to the SEO (258.1), followed by the RBO (218.7) and BHO (152.4), whereas the USM fraction of the SEO indicated the least significant quantity among the USM fractions (89.3 vs. 216.6 and 158.0 for the RBO and BHO, respectively).

Health Benefits of Whole Grain Phytochemicals

A whole grain consists of the intact, ground, cracked, or flaked caryopsis, whose principal anatomical components—the starchy endosperm, germ, and bran—are present in the same relative proportions as they exist in the intact caryopsis. Whole grain food products can be intact, consisting of the original composition of bran, germ, and endosperm, throughout the entire lifetime of the product, or reconstituted, in which one or more of the original components of a whole grain is recombined to the relative proportion naturally occurring in the grain kernel. Increased consumption of whole grains has been associated with reduced risk of major chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, and some cancers. Whole grain foods offer a wide range of phytochemicals with health benefits that are only recently becoming recognized. The unique phytochemicals in whole grains are proposed to be responsible for the health benefits of whole grain consumption. In this paper, whole grain phytochemicals and the health benefits associated with their consumption are reviewed.