Impact of Whole Wheat Flour and Its Milling Fractions on the Cecal Fermentations and the Plasma and Liver Lipids in Rats

Abstract

The aim of the present work was to evaluate the cholesterol-lowering potency of the different milling fractions of whole wheat flour, by investigating the effects of these wheat fractions (white flour, whole flour, and bran) on digestive fermentations and lipid metabolism in Wistar rats. Compared to the control, which was fiber-free, the different cereal fractions did not affect the daily food intake or weight gain. The white flour and whole flour diets markedly enlarged the cecum and elicited acidic fermentations (pH approximately 6.2), whereas bran was less effective. It appears that white flour rather promoted propionate-rich fermentations (+62%), whereas bran favored butyrate-rich fermentations (+178%). White flour or bran did not significantly affect total steroid excretion, but whole flour was effective (+41%). Both white flour and whole flour decreased cholesterol in the d < 1.040 fraction, but only whole flour significantly lowered cholesterolemia. However, all the cereal diets significantly decreased liver lipids, whole flour being the most potent (-54%). In conclusion, the totality of the wheat grain is important for cholesterol- and triglyceride-lowering effects, and the splitting up of the grain alters its health effects.

An addition of sourdough and whey proteins affects the nutritional quality of wholemeal wheat bread

“…In the literature there is a lack of data concerning the effect of breads enriched with whey proteins on rodents' body gain. Adam et al [2002] reported that whole wheat bread had no effect on body gain of rats. Also Östman et al [2005] showed that wheat bread with addition of lactic acid did not affect body gain of hyperinsulinaemic (fa/fa) Zucker rats.…”

Immunomodulatory properties of two wheat bran fractions – aleurone-enriched and crude fractions – in obese mice fed a high fat diet

“…In parallel, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular diseases, clustered in the metabolic syndrome, have emerged as major health problems. It has been suggested that the decrease in fibers intake contributes to the development of these health disorders [2][3][4]. Although the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome is complex and not fully understood, obesity and insulin resistance are accompanied by an altered profile of a number of hormones and cytokines.…”

“…Different approaches have been recently proposed to incorporate wheat bran in food products, in order to optimize the nutritional composition or to produce interesting physiological effects. In fact, cereal products have been shown to regulate carbohydrate and lipid homeostasis [2,15]. However, the quantity and the quality of dietary non starch NDC present in cereal products, such as fructans, is too low to allow those fermentable fibers to have a substantial influence on the nutritional properties of those cereal products [2,21].…”

“…Bran, which is composed of 50% pericarp/testa and 50% aleurone layer, is particularly rich in dietary fibers (50% of the bran weight) [2,22]. The pericarp testa is constituted of lignified cell walls, where cellulose microfibrils are dispersed in acidic arabinoxylans (AX) [2].…”

“…The pericarp testa is constituted of lignified cell walls, where cellulose microfibrils are dispersed in acidic arabinoxylans (AX) [2]. AX represent about half the dietary fibers component of wheat bran or wheat aleurone whereas cellulose and β-glucans contributed only smaller parts [22].…”