33 Cereal food fractions with beneficial properties for health.

Talwinder S. Kahlon and Faye I. Chow. WRRC, USDA, ARS, Albany, CA 94710.

Atherosclerosis is associated with the use of refined foods, high dietary saturated fat and total fat calories, stressful and sedentary life style and diminished resistance to cellular degenerative processes with aging. High circulating total cholesterol and oxidizability of LDL cholesterol have been associated with coronary artery disease and stroke. With a 1% reduction in plasma cholesterol there is a 2–4% reduction in heart disease. Research conducted in the Cereal Products Utilization Research Unit has demonstrated that stabilized full-fat rice bran, oat bran and glucan-enriched barley fraction significantly lowered plasma and liver cholesterol in laboratory animals. Defatting the rice bran resulted in reducing its potential to lower cholesterol. Recombining defatted rice bran and its extracted oil did not restore its full cholesterol-lowering potential, suggesting that some of the phytonutrients responsible for the desirable healthful effects were either lost or deactivated in the fractionation process. Gel-forming properties of oat and barley glucans influence plasma cholesterol possibly by sequestering or entrapping lipids, bile acids and their metabolites. Fecal fat excretion was negatively correlated with the plasma and liver cholesterol reductions. Cholesterol- lowering activity of rice bran is associated with its unsaponifiable matter, antioxidants and other unidentified phytonutrients present in stabilized intact full-fat rice bran. Glucan fraction and other factors yet to be identified in oat and barley fractions are responsible for their cholesterol-lowering activity. Prevention or amelioration of atherosclerosis would improve general health and lower the current estimated world cost of 150 billion dollars related to this disease.