Whole grains and health: an overview

Evaluating the Effects of Wheat Cultivar and Extrusion Processing on Nutritional, Health-Promoting, and Antioxidant Properties of Flour

Wheat has been considered one of the most important staple foods for thousands of years. It is one of the largest suppliers of calories in the daily diet, which is added to many different products. Wheat is also a good source of health-benefiting antioxidants. This study aims toinvestigate the changes in the antioxidant properties, such as total phenol content, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), metal chelating activity, 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenz-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS⁺) scavenging activity, and color intensity, during the extrusion processing of six different wheat cultivars. The extrusion factors evaluated were 15% feed moisture and two extrusion temperatures (150 and 180°C). Extrusion processing increased antioxidant activity (DPPH, metal chelating activity, and ABTS⁺ scavenging activity), whereas total flavonoids content and total phenolic content were decreased. The L^* values of wheat flours increased significantly (p < 0.05) after extrusion at 150 and 180°C, 15% mc. Furthermore, redness was decreased from control wheat cultivars (range: 0.17–0.21) to extrusion at 150°C (range: 0.14–0.17) and 180°C (range: 0.1–0.14). The study suggests that extruded wheat could improve the antioxidant potential in food products.

Aceitabilidade e estabilidade físico-química de barras de cereais elaboradas à base de aveia e linhaça dourada

Matérias-primas de elevado valor nutricional e com propriedades funcionais devem ser utilizadas no desenvolvimento de produtos benéficos à saúde do consumidor. Neste trabalho, objetivou-se estudar combinações de aveia e linhaça dourada na elaboração de barras de cereais, sendo avaliadas a composição química, a aceitabilidade sensorial e a estabilidade pelo período de 60 dias de armazenamento. As barras de cereais foram elaboradas com o emprego de ingredientes secos e agentes ligantes, nas proporções de 70% e 30%, respectivamente. O delineamento empregado foi o de mistura binária com variações proporcionais nas formulações, sendo realizadas três repetições no ponto central. As barras de cereais foram avaliadas por 35 provadores não treinados quanto à aceitabilidade e à intenção de compra. A estabilidade foi avaliada pela determinação de acidez graxa, índice de peróxidos e atividade de água, e a composição química, pela determinação de umidade, proteínas, cinzas, lipídios, fibra alimentar e carboidratos. Para a composição química, foi realizada a análise de regressão, obtendo-se os coeficientes de determinação e falta de ajuste. Nas demais determinações, os resultados foram analisados pelo emprego da análise da variância (ANOVA) e as médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey a 5% de significância. A aveia combinada com linhaça dourada pode ser utilizada na elaboração de barras de cereais por apresentar características sensoriais adequadas e ser fonte de fibras. A formulação de melhor aceitabilidade sensorial foi o ponto central, com emprego de 50% de aveia e 50% de linhaça dourada. As barras de cereais apresentam boa estabilidade devido à baixa atividade de água e à não formação de peróxidos.

The role of whole-wheat grain and wheat and rye ingredients on the digestion and fermentation processes in the gut--a model experiment with pigs

The effect of wheat and rye breads made from white wheat flour with added refined fibre (WFL), whole-wheat grain, wheat aleurone flour (WAF) or rye aleurone flour (RAF) on digestion and fermentation processes in the gut was studied in a model experiment with pigs. The diets were similar in dietary fibre (DF) but differed in arabinoxylan (AX) content and composition. Twenty pigs were fed the breads three times daily (08.00, 13.00 and 18.00 hours) and the digesta collected through a T-cannula for two successive periods (breakfast: 8.00-13.00; lunch: 13.00-18.00 hours). Faeces were collected for 24 h and caecal and colonic contents at slaughter. The rigid nature of the aleurone cell walls encapsulated nutrients, which resulted in reduced (P < 0.01) digestibility of protein (WAF and RAF breads) and fat (RAF bread). For the RAF bread, the digestibility of starch was also lower (P < 0.001) than of the wheat-based diets primarily due to the higher intestinal viscosity. The DF composition had an impact on (P < 0.001) the site for fibre degradation in the large intestine. Thus, AX of the WAF bread, with the lowest degree of substitution, were fermented as much in the caecum as in the colon, whereas AX of the RAF bread, with an intermediary degree of substitution, were mainly fermented in the caecum. The WFL bread, rich in cellulose, was fermented more distally. Fermentation of experimental breads in the large intestine had no effect (P>0.05) on the production of metabolites, except for butyrate which was higher (P < 0.01) after the WAF bread consumption.

[Dietary factors and oral cancer: a case-control study in Greater Metropolitan São Paulo, Brazil]

Dietary factors associated with oral cancer were investigated in a case-control hospital-based study in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, from 1998 to 2002. A total of 835 subjects, 366 with histologically confirmed incident cases of oral-cavity or pharyngeal cancer and 469 controls participated in the study. Dietary data were collected with a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were obtained from unconditional logistic regression, adjusted for potential confounders. Inverse associations with risk of oral cancer were found for the highest intake of beans, OR = 0.37 (95%CI: 0.22-0.64), raw vegetables, OR = 0.51 (95%CI: 0.29-0.93) and the intermediate tertile of rice and pasta intake, OR = 0.56 (95%CI: 0.38-0.83). Positive associations were observed for the highest intake of eggs, OR = 1.84 (95%CI: 1.23-2.75), potatoes, OR = 2.22 (95%CI: 1.53-3.25), and milk, OR= 1.80 (95%CI: 1.09-2.98). Some traditional Brazilian foods like rice and beans emerged as protective factors against oral cancer, independently of other risk factors.