Cereals and Pulses: Nutraceutical Properties and Health Benefits

Cereal and pulse crops are staple foods that provide essentialnutrients to many populations of the world. Traditionally, wholegrains were consumed but most current foods are derived fromrefined fractions of cereal and pulse crops. Consumption ofprocessed or refined products may reduce the health benefits offood. In wheat–based processed foods, for example, the removed 40%of the grain (mainly the bran and the germ of the wheat grain)contains the majority of the health beneficial components. Thesecomponents, particularly non–essential phytochemicals such ascarotenoids, polyphenols, phytosterols/ stanols, and dietaryfibers, have been shown to reduce the risk of major chronicdiseases of humans, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, andParkinson s disease.

Such bioactives are therefore good candidates for ingredients ofnutraceuticals and functional foods. There are many factors thatcan affect the bioactive content of cereal and pulse–based foodingredients, including genetics, growing and storage conditions,post–harvest treatments, food formulation and processing. All ofthese factors ultimately affect human health and wellness.Bioavailability is also important for these compounds for exertingtheir protective roles.

Cereals and Pulses: Nutraceutical Properties and HealthBenefits provides a summary of current research findingsrelated to phytochemical composition and properties of cereal andpulse crops. The nutraceutical properties of each major cereal andpulse are discussed. Coverage of cereals and pulse crops includesbarley, oats, rice, rye, corn, adlay, wheat, buckwheat, psyllium,sorghum, millet, common beans, field peas, faba beans, chickpea,lentil and soybeans. Chapters for each crop discuss methods toimprove crop utilization, nutraceutical components and properties,bioactive compositions, antioxidant properties, beneficial healtheffects, disease prevention activities, and areas for futureresearch. Also included are two chapters that examine thebeneficial health properties of dietary fibers and antioxidants.Edited and written by an international team of respectedresearchers, this book is a reference guide for scientists workingin food ingredients, food product research and development,functional foods and nutraceuticals, crop breeding and genetics,human nutrition, post–harvest treatment and processing of cerealgrains and pulses. It will enable them to effect value–added foodinnovation for health promotion and disease risk reduction.

1 Cereals and pulses an overview 1

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Chemistry and nutraceutical compositions 2

1.3 Potential health beneficial effects 2

References 5

2 Effects of barley consumption on cardiovascular anddiabetic risk 7

2.1 Introduction 7

2.2 Barley –glucan and risk of cardiovascular diseases,diabetes and colon carcinogenesis 7

2.3 Other nutraceutical components and properties in barley11

2.4 Potential of hulless barley in health promotion and diseaseprevention 15

2.5 Future studies 15

References 16

3 Nutraceutical properties and health benefits of oats21

3.1 Introduction 21

3.2 Oat grain composition 22

3.3 The chemical and physical property of oat –glucan23

3.4 Effects of processing on oat –glucan 25

3.5 Oat and health 26

3.6 Conclusions 31

References 31

4 Nutraceutical properties and health benefits of rice37

4.1 Introduction 37

4.2 Rice grain structure and nutritional compositiondistribution 38

4.3 Nutrient compositions and their health benefits 40

4.4 Biofortification of nutrients in rice grain to improve itshealth benefits 53

4.5 Health benefits of rice bran 54

4.6 Health benefits of whole rice grain consumption 55

4.7 Future trends 57

References 57

5 Hypolipedemic effects of rice bran oil 65

5.1 Introduction 65

5.2 Chemical composition of rice bran oil (RBO) 65

5.3 Hypolipidemic effect of rice bran oil 66

5.4 Other beneficial effects of rice bran oil 68

5.5 Future studies 69

References 70

6 Phenolic phytochemicals from rye ( Secale Cereale L.) 71

6.1 Introduction 71

6.2 Three classes of the phenolic compounds 72

6.3 Extraction methodology 72

6.4 Analysis methods 80

6.5 Bioactivity 81

6.6 Health beneficial effects of rye intake 82

6.7 Summary 82

References 82

7 Bioactive compounds in corn 85

7.1 Introduction 85

7.2 Phytochemicals in corn and their health benefits 85

7.3 Corn resistant starch and bioactivities 96

7.4 Future studies 97

References 98

8 Nutraceutical and health properties of adlay 105

8.1 Introduction 105

8.2 Health components of adlay 105

8.3 Potential health beneficial properties 107

8.4 Summary 111

References 111

9 Antioxidant and health promoting properties of wheat (Triticum spp .) 113

9.1 Introduction 113

9.2 Evidence of wheat s health promoting properties113

9.3 The antioxidant contents of wheat 114

9.4 Reported antioxidant and other health promoting propertiesof wheat 117

9.5 Bioavailability of phenolic acids in wheat 119

9.6 Use of post–harvest treatments to improve thebioaccessabilty of antioxidant in wheat–based ingredients 120

9.7 Effects of processing on antioxidants in wheat–based foodsystems 123

References 126

10 Buckwheat: A novel pseudocereal 131

10.1 Introduction of buckwheat 131

10.2 Nutritional composition of buckwheat 133

10.3 Unique health components of buckwheat 136

10.4 Allergens in buckwheat 144

10.5 Research trends of buckwheat nutritional and functionalproperties 145

References 146

11 Nutraceutical and health properties of psyllium149

11.1 Introduction 149

11.2 Health beneficial effects of psyllium 150

11.3 Potential in controlled delivery of bioactives 158

11.4 Possible adverse effects 159

References 160

12 Nutraceutical and health properties of sorghum and millet165

12.1 Introduction 165

12.2 Phytochemicals in sorghum and millet grains and fractions167

12.3 Antioxidant properties of sorghum and millet grain andcomponents 173

12.4 Potential beneficial effects of sorghum and milletconsumption in human health 176

12.5 Perspectives 182

References 182

13 Nutraceutical and health properties of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris ) 187

13.1 Introduction 187

13.2 Health beneficial effects of Phaseolus vulgaris187

13.3 Possible adverse effects 194

13.4 Conclusion 194

References 194

14 Health benefits and bioactive compounds in field peas,faba beans, and chickpeas 199

14.1 Introduction 199

14.2 Phenolic compounds in field peas, chickpeas, and faba beans200

14.3 Health benefits of compounds in field peas, chickpeas, andfaba beans 202

14.4 Antinutritional factors in peas, chickpeas, and faba beans209

14.5 Bioactive peptides 210

References 212

15 Bioactives and health benefits of lentils (Lensculinaris L.) 217

15.1 Introduction 217

15.2 Epidemiology: pulses and chronic diseases 217

15.3 Health effects of pulse carbohydrates 221

15.4 Health promoting vitamins and minerals in lentils 222

15.5 Health promoting phenolic compounds in lentils 222

References 225

16 Soy isoflavones and bone health 229

16.1 Introduction 229

16.2 Biosynthesis and composition of isoflavones in soybeans230

16.3 Separation, characterization, and analysis of isoflavones231

16.4 Soy isoflavones and bone health 232

16.5 Summary 237

References 238

17 Effects of dietary soy on the prevention of cardiovasculardisease 243

17.1 Introduction 243

17.2 Soy foods and serum cholesterol 243

17.3 Soy and inhibition of LDL oxidation 249

17.4 Soy and inflammation 252

17.5 Soy and hypertension 252

17.6 Soy and endothelial function 253

17.7 Conclusions 253

References 254

18 Dietary fiber and human health 261

18.1 Introduction 261

18.2 Dietary fiber and metabolic syndrome 261

18.3 Dietary fiber and cancer 264

18.4 Dietary fiber and cardiovascular diseases 267

18.5 Potential undesirable effects 268

18.6 Summary 269

References 269

19 Antioxidants and human health 273

19.1 Introduction 273

19.2 Anti–inflammatory capacity of antioxidants 274

19.3 Antioxidants and metabolic syndrome 278

19.4 Antioxidants and cancer 285

19.5 Antioxidants and cardiovascular diseases 290

19.6 Summary and conclusions 295

References 295

Index 309

Dr Rong Tsao, Guelph Food Research Center, Agricultureand Agri–Food Canada, Guelph, Ontario, Canada

Professor Fereidoon Shahidi, Department of Biochemistry,Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada

Recommended.  Graduate students,researchers/faculty, and professionals/practitioners.  (Choice, 1 December 2012)