The healthy components of cereal by-products and their functional properties

Abstract

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Cereal by-products represent abundant and low-cost resources of phytochemicals with potential nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications. γ-Oryzanols found in rice bran as well as in rice bran oil have 10 times higher antioxidant properties than tocopherols. Corn bran is one of the best sources of the potent antioxidant ferulic acid, compared to other cereals, fruits, and vegetables. Sorghum bran is a unique dietary source of 3-deoxyanthocyanidin, a rare type of flavonoid that has shown strong cytotoxic activities. Wheat and rye bran contain arabinoxylans, which contribute to a reduction in blood glucose, while oat bran is a starting raw material for the extraction of dietary fibers-β-glucans. These and many other added-value biomolecules in cereal by-products, and their health benefits, are reviewed in this chapter.