Cereals and pulses: Nutraceutical properties and health benefits

Cereals and Pulses: Nutraceutical Properties and Health Benefits provides a summary of current research findings related to phytochemical compositions and properties of cereal and pulse crops. Each major cereal and pulse is discussed for its nutraceutical properties. Coverage of cereals and pulse crops includes barley, 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 to improve crop utilization, nutraceutical components and properties, bioactive compositions, antioxidant properties, beneficial health effects, disease prevention activities and areas for future research. Also included are two chapters that discuss the beneficial health properties of dietary fibers and antioxidants with focus on the mechanisms involved in their biological actions. Edited and authored by an international team of respected researchers, Cereals and Pulses will serve as a timely and long lasting guide for scientists working in food ingredients, food product research and development, functional foods and nutraceuticals, crop breeding and genetics, post-harvest treatment and processing of cereal grains and pulses, and human nutrition to effect value-added food innovation for health promotion and disease risk reduction.

1. Cereals and pulses - An overview.

Chemistry and nutraceutical compositions.

Potential health beneficial effects.

Liangli Yu, Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, Rong Tsao Cao, Food Research Program, Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, Fereidoon Shahidi, Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL Canada.

2. Effects of barley consumption on cardiovascular and diabetic risk.

Barley beta-glucan and risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and colon carcinogenesis.

Other nutraceutical components and properties in barley.

Potential of hull-less barley in health promotion and disease prevention.

Future studies.

Behall, K.M., Allfrisch, J.G. or Jenkins, A.L.

3. Oats - Food, nutrition, and health.

Oat fiber on risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

Oat grain and fractions in foods.

Other nutraceutical components and properties in oats.

Future studies.

Pick, M.E.

4. Potential of rice grain and fractions in cancer prevention.

Rice bran bioactives protect against chemical-induced carcinogenesis.

Inhibitory effects of rice bran fraction on atherosclerotic plaque formation.

Antioxidant properties of rice bran.

Future studies.

Fullerton, M., Ogutu, S., Ha, Yu, S.G.

5. Hypolipidemic effects of rice bran oil.

Chemical composition of rice bran oil.

Hypolipidemic effect of rice bran oil.

Other beneficial effects of rice bran oil.

Future studies.

Minhajuddin, M., Beg, Z.H., Iqbal, J.

6. Positive health beneficial effects of rye.

Phytochemical components in rye grain and fractions.

Fiber content of rye.

Positive health effects of rye.

Future studies.

Aman, P., Nilsson, M., Andersson, R., Plaami, S., Saastamoinen, M., Kumpulainen, J.

7. Corn.

Phytochemicals in corn (lutein, zeaxanthin, phytosterols/stanols).

Resistant starch.

Resistant starch and formation of short chain fatty acids.

Resistant starches lower plasma and liver lipids.

Resistant starch and calcium balance/mineral retention.

Future studies.

Younes, H., Levrat, M. A., Bemigne, C., Remesy, C., Henningsson, A.M., Margareta, E., Nyman, G. L., Bjorck, I.M.E., Morita, T., Kasaoka, S., Kiriyama.

8. Adlay (Job's tears).

Bioactive compositions (phenolic acids, polyphenols, tannins, saponins, tocopherols).

Health benefits.

Chi-Tang Ho, Department of Food Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.

9. Wheat.

Phytochemicals in wheat grain and fractions (carotenoids, tocopherols, phenolics).

Antioxidant properties of wheat components.

Wheat bran consumption and risk of colon cancer.

Wheat bran consumption on plasma and liver cholesterol.

Whole wheat foods and health promotion in general.

Liangli (Lucy) Yu, Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Maryland, College park, MD.

10. Buckwheat.

Phytochemicals in buckwheat.

Antioxidant properties.

Health beneficial effects.

Mattila., P., Pihlava, J.M., Hellstrom, J., Aoyagi, Y., Kagawa Nutrition University, Japan, Li, S., Zhang, Q.H.

11. Psyllium.

Effect of psyllium consumption on serum glucose concentration.

Role of psyllium in reduction of irritable bowel syndrome.

Laxative...