Anthocyanins in Whole Grain Cereals and Their Potential Effect on Health

Abstract

Coloured (black, purple, blue, red, etc.) cereal grains, rich in anthocyanins, have recently gained a lot of attention in the food industry. Anthocyanins are water-soluble flavonoids, and are responsible for red, violet, and blue colours in fruits, vegetables, and grains. Anthocyanins have demonstrated antioxidant potential in both in vitro and in vivo studies, and the consumption of foods high in anthocyanins has been linked to lower risks of chronic diseases. As such, whole grain functional foods made with coloured grains are promising new products. This paper will review the characteristics of cereal anthocyanins, and assess their prevalence in various commercially relevant crops including wheat, barley, maize, and rice. A brief overview of the antioxidant potential, and current research on the health effects of cereal-based anthocyanins will be provided. Finally, processing of coloured cereals in whole grain products will be briefly discussed. A full understanding of the fate of anthocyanins in whole grain products, and more research targeted towards health outcomes of anthocyanin supplementation to/inclusion in cereal food products are the next logical steps in this research field.

Evaluation of Anthocyanin Content, Antioxidant Potential and Antimicrobial Activity of Black, Purple and Blue Colored Wheat Flour and Wheat-Grass Juice against Common Human Pathogens

“…These were delphinidin-3-o-galactoside chloride, delphinidin-3-o-glucoside chloride, delphinidin-3-o-rutinoside chloride, cyanindin-3-o-glucoside chloride, pelargonidin 3-o-glucoside chloride, and peonidin-3-o-rutinoside chloride. All these anthocyanins have been reported previously in the case of colored cereals [19,26,37,38]. In our study, delphinidin-3-o-galactoside chloride, delphinidin-3-o-glucoside chloride, and cyanindin-3-o-glucoside chloride were found to be the major anthocyanins in black wheat flour extracts.…”

Food Bioactive Compounds and Emerging Techniques for Their Extraction: Polyphenols as a Case Study

“…Anthocyanidins are another important group of flavonoids that are responsible for the red, blue, and purple colours of the majority of flowers, fruits, vegetables, and certain varieties of grains, such as black rice [ 39 ]. In terms of chemical structure, anthocyanidins are polymethoxy or polyhydroxy derivatives of the flavylium cation, containing a C15 backbone structure, and the most commonly found are cyanidin, delphinidin, pelargonidin, peonidin, petunidin, and malvidin [ 40 ].…”

Optimisation of the Extrusion Process through a Response Surface Methodology for Improvement of the Physical Properties and Nutritional Components of Whole Black-Grained Wheat Flour

“…To meet the challenge of the nutritional crisis, nutritious properties of a raw food material should be used to develop food products with improved quality and health-related beneficial properties. Compared with traditional wheat, colour-grained wheat is characterized by significant levels of anthocyanins and essential nutrients (total phenolic acid content, selenium) [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Therefore, the exploitation and utilisation of colour-grained wheat products with health benefits not only would provide food with high nutritional quality but also contribute to the nutritional security of the ever-growing population.…”

“…The glycaemic and inflammatory profile of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients was improved by a daily substitution of BGW for a partial staple food [ 27 ]. The consumption of foods rich in anthocyanins has been related to lower risks of various diseases associated with oxidative stress [ 13 ]. In addition, food manufacturers would like to use new materials and new methods to make new nutritional products, in response to consumers’ demand for healthy, palatable, and nutritious foods.…”

“…Whole-wheat flour has a higher content of fibre, minerals, and micronutrients than refined wheat flour [ 30 ]. Whole-grain functional foods made with colour-grained wheat are promising new products [ 13 ]. In terms of its high nutritional quality and the competitive nature of the functional food market, an extruded whole BGW flour product has great potential to appeal to today’s consumers.…”