Avena sativa(Oat), A Potential Neutraceutical and Therapeutic Agent: An Overview

Abstract

The aim of the present review article is to summarize the available information related to the availability, production, chemical composition, pharmacological activity, and traditional uses of Avena sativa to highlight its potential to contribute to human health. Oats are now cultivated worldwide and form an important dietary staple for the people in number of countries. Several varieties of oats are available. It is a rich source of protein, contains a number of important minerals, lipids, β-glucan, a mixed-linkage polysaccharide, which forms an important part of oat dietary fiber, and also contains various other phytoconstituents like avenanthramides, an indole alkaloid-gramine, flavonoids, flavonolignans, triterpenoid saponins, sterols, and tocols. Traditionally oats have been in use since long and are considered as stimulant, antispasmodic, antitumor, diuretic, and neurotonic. Oat possesses different pharmacological activities like antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, wound healing, immunomodulatory, antidiabetic, anticholesterolaemic, etc. A wide spectrum of biological activities indicates that oat is a potential therapeutic agent.

Phenolic amides (avenanthramides) in oats - a review

“…Both animal studies and human clinical trials confirmed that oats antioxidants have the potential of reducing cardiovascular risks by lowering serum cholesterol, inhibiting LDL cholesterol oxidation and peroxidation (Cook & Samman 1996;Ji et al 2003;Inglett & Chen 2012). Therefore, it is emphasised that the consumption of oats and oats products is extremely important to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease (Bazzano et al 2003;Chen et al 2004Chen et al , 2007Singh et al 2013). Another study has indicated that the consumption of oats and oats bran may reduce the risk of colon cancer not only because of their high fiber contents but also due to AVAs (Guo et al 2010).…”

“…The AVAs differ in the antioxidant activity, AVA-C having the highest activity, followed by AVA-B and AVA-A (Peterson et al 2002;Ji et al 2003). They are reported to be stopping the oxidation of lipid and linoleic acid in foods (Fagerlund et al 2009;Singh et al 2013). Fagerlund et al (2009) found that, compared with α-tocopherol, AVAs protected linoleic acid from oxidation initially to a smaller extent initially.…”

“…Fagerlund et al (2009) found that, compared with α-tocopherol, AVAs protected linoleic acid from oxidation initially to a smaller extent initially. Also, to prevent the oxidative reaction of unsaturated fatty acids, AVAs can easily be used in the food industry (Ishihara et al 2014) due to the radical scavenging effect (Singh et al 2013). Similarly, Liu et al (2011) studied the antioxidant ability of capsules containing oats AVAs on human body and found that oats extract containing AVAs possessed a high antioxidant activity on humans (Liu et al 2011).…”

“…Oats and oats products are generally considered healthy and the consumption of oat bran is believed to lower LDL cholesterol (Brown et al 1999;Liu et al 2004;Singh et al 2013). AVAs helps in preventing free radicals from damaging LDL cholesterol (Singh et al 2013) and AVAs-enriched extract of oats combined with vitamin C synergistically inhibits LDL oxidation in vitro (Meydani 2009).…”

“…AVAs helps in preventing free radicals from damaging LDL cholesterol (Singh et al 2013) and AVAs-enriched extract of oats combined with vitamin C synergistically inhibits LDL oxidation in vitro (Meydani 2009). Both animal studies and human clinical trials confirmed that oats antioxidants have the potential of reducing cardiovascular risks by lowering serum cholesterol, inhibiting LDL cholesterol oxidation and peroxidation (Cook & Samman 1996;Ji et al 2003;Inglett & Chen 2012).…”