Robert Welch

University of Ulster · Northern Ireland Centre for Food & Health (NICHE)

Wheat bran, and especially wheat aleurone fraction, are concentrated sources of a wide range of components which may contribute to the health benefits associated with higher consumption of whole-grain foods. This study used NMR metabolomics to evaluate urine samples from baseline at one and two hours postprandially, following the consumption of min...

Observational studies cannot demonstrate causality. To demonstrate cause and effect requires an intervention study in which consumption of a nutrient, food or diet is altered in a controlled way and the effect on selected outcomes is measured. The study design process should include careful consideration of the hypothesis, duration, intervention, a...

The bran and particularly the aleurone fraction of wheat are high in betaine and other physiological methyl donors, which may exert beneficial physiological effects. We conducted two randomised, controlled, cross-over postprandial studies to assess and compare plasma betaine and other methyl donor-related responses following the consumption of mini...

This study evaluated four food-derived peptides with known antihypertensive activities for antimicrobial activity against pathogenic microorganisms, and assessed structure-function relationships using alanine analogues. The peptides (EVSLNSGYY, barley; PGTAVFK, soybean; TTMPLW, α-casein; VHLPP, α-zein) and the six alanine substitution peptides of P...

In this study, two levels of dietary iron (Fe), 15 mg/kg (LFe) and 400 mg/kg (HFe), were fed to 12 male and 12 female weanling Sprague-Dawley rats for 42 days. Animals were anaesthetised with ether and sacrificed by exsanguination using cardiac puncture. Plasma lipids and iron indices were measured and the data analysed by two-way analysis of varia...

Associations between the consumption of particular foods and health outcomes may be indicated by observational studies. However, intervention trials that evaluate the health benefits of foods provide the strongest evidence to support dietary recommendations for health. Thus, it is important that these trials are carried out safely, and to high scie...

Nutrition labelling is an important strategic approach for encouraging consumers to make healthier food choices. The availability of highly palatable foods labelled as 'low fat or reduced calorie' may encourage the over-consumption of these products. This study aimed to determine whether the manipulation of nutrition labelling information can influ...

Observational data show an inverse association between the consumption of wholegrain foods, and inflammation and related diseases. Although the underlying mechanisms are unclear, wholegrains, and in particular the aleurone layer, contain a wide range of components with putative antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. We evaluated the effects of...

There is substantial evidence to link what we eat to the reduction of the risk of major chronic diseases and/or the improvement of functions. Thus, it is important for public health agencies and the food industry to facilitate the consumption of foods with particular health benefits by providing consumer products and messages based on scientific ev...

Satiety, which is the inhibition of eating following the end of a meal, is influenced by a number of food characteristics, including compositional and structural factors. An increased understanding of these factors and the mechanisms whereby they exert their effects on satiety may offer a food-based approach to weight management. Water and gas, whi...

There is strong evidence that whole-grain foods protect against heart disease. Although underlying mechanisms and components are unclear, betaine, found at high levels in wheat aleurone, may play a role. We evaluated the effects of a diet high in wheat aleurone on plasma betaine and related measures. In a parallel, single-blinded intervention study...

Epidemiological evidence indicates that the increased consumption of whole grain foods is associated with a decreased prevalence of several chronic diseases including obesity, diabetes, CVD and cancer (1) . Whole grain comprises the endosperm and the outer bran layer. The bran includes the aleurone, which is particularly rich in bioactive component...

Avenanthramides are substituted N-cinnamoylanthranilic acids, with hydroxycinnamic acid and anthranilic acid moieties. These alkaloid phenols, which are unique to oats, may confer health benefits via antioxidant or other mechanisms. Synthetic avenanthramides, hydroxycinnamic acids, Tranilast, and ascorbic acid were evaluated for antioxidant activit...

Large food portions may be facilitating excess energy intake (EI) and adiposity among adults. The present study aimed to assess the extent to which EI and amounts of foods consumed are influenced by the availability of different-sized food portions. A randomised within-subject cross-over, fully residential design was used, where forty-three (twenty...

The objective of the present study was to examine the associations between the portion sizes of food groups consumed with measures of adiposity using data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of British adults. Seven-day weighed dietary records, physical activity diaries and anthropometric measurements were used. Foods eaten were assigned to...

Inulin-type fructans (ITF), also known as oligofructose or fructo-oligosaccharides are indigestible fructose oligomers with chain lengths varying from 2-65. ITF occur naturally as inulin in a number of plants including onions, bananas, chicory and artichokes, and are also available as food ingredients and supplements. Health benefits of dietary ITF...

The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with increased incidence of overweight and obesity, and a factor underlying this putative link could be the relatively low levels of satiety that may be induced by these beverages. Although many sugar-sweetened beverages are carbonated, little attention has been given to the potential effec...

Evaluation of the uptake of bioactive components from wheat-bran and wheat-aleurone fractions in healthy adults - Volume 67 Issue OCE7 - E. M. Keaveney, L. L. Hamill, R. K. Price, J. M. W. Wallace, H. McNulty, M. Ward, J. J. Strain, P. M. Ueland, J. M. Scott, A. M. Molloy, R. W. Welch

The protective effects of whole grain cereals against heart disease and certain cancers may be due, at least partly, to the antioxidant effects of phenolics concentrated in the bran. However, it is unclear to what extent these phenolics are absorbed, and whether these phenolics exert significant physiological antioxidant effects. Thus, this study a...

The consumption of foodstuffs that induce high satiety, and lead to decreased subsequent food intakes, may be one strategy to help prevent or alleviate overweight and obesity. Satiety and energy intakes are influenced by a number of food physicochemical factors. Therefore, modifying foods to increase satiety is multifaceted and may involve manipula...

To investigate the effect of Olibra fat emulsion on medium-term food intake and appetite in non-obese subjects. Double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject crossover. University of Ulster, Coleraine. A total of 28 subjects (14 male, 14 female). Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either a 200 g portion of test (5 g of Olibra fat) or con...

Previous research indicates that vegetables yield relatively high satiety scores, and that fibre content and structure may both contribute to these effects. This study evaluated the effects of the fibre content and physical structure (gross anatomy and cell structure) of carrots on postprandial satiety and subsequent food intakes when consumed as p...

Incubation with 5-n-alkylresorcinols (chain lengths C15:0, C17:0, C19:0, C21:0, and C23:0) increased the self-protection capacity of HT29 human colon cancer cells against DNA damage induced by hydrogen peroxide and genotoxic fecal water samples using comet assay (single-cell gel electrophoresis assay). The alkylresorcinols did not exert potent anti...

To investigate the dose-response effects of a novel fat emulsion (Olibra) on energy and macronutrient intakes up to 36 h post-consumption in non-overweight subjects. A single-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject cross-over design was used. Metabolic suite of the University of Ulster, Coleraine. Fifty subjects (30 female, 20 male) from the stud...

Summary Two pre-tumbling treatment variables (meat piece size; raw product phosphate content) were evaluated for their effects on maximum slicing rate (MSR), cooking loss and sensory quality of a commercially produced, cooked re-formed pigmeat shoulder product. At 0.457% phosphate, incremental reductions in meat piece size which increased specific...

To investigate the effects of a yoghurt containing a novel fat emulsion on energy and macronutrient intakes up to 8 h post-consumption in non-overweight, overweight and obese subjects, and to assess energy compensation over the following 24 h. A double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject crossover design was used. Twenty (10 female, 10 male)...

The satiating properties of fat remain poorly understood, particularly with reference to its physicochemical characteristics. To investigate the short-term effects of consumption of yoghurt containing either a novel fat emulsion or normal milk fat, on the energy and macronutrient intakes of non-obese subjects. Two double-blind, placebo-controlled,...

Satiety is notoriously difficult to assess because of the considerable overlap between physiological and cognitive factors in its development. Short-term studies of satiety are typically based on a variation of the classic preload paradigm while medium-term studies involve observations of food intake, where some or all of the foods may be covertly...

Grain characteristics and groat composition have been evaluated in 35 genotypes from nine taxonomic species of Avena, including three species (A. agadiriana, A. atlantica, A. damascena) for which no previous data are available. There was substantial interspecific and intraspecific variation for all characteristics measured. The proportion of groat...

In 1900, the population was beset with poverty, and infectious and deficiency diseases were common. The first half of the century was blighted by world wars, economic depression and post-war austerity. Nevertheless, a combination of enlightened social policy and the application of medical, nutritional and food science, resulted in substantial impro...

Deficiencies of antioxidant nutrients have been implicated in the etiology of lung and other cancers. However, most intervention trials with antioxidant nutrients have not shown beneficial effects, and some have indicated that beta-carotene may be deleterious. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the effects of five sho...

Three European and three North American oat cultivars (Avena sativa) and 10 wildAvenaspecies were grown to maturity in pots at three nitrogen fertility levels. The yield and nitrogen content of plant parts, and the production and partitioning of dry matter and nitrogen were measured. Groats were also analysed for oil content and composition. Some w...

The oat crop provides a range of products which are utilized in animal feed, for human foodstuffs or as industrial raw materials. These products, which may be derived from different parts of the crop and may be taken at various stages of growth, include whole crop silage, straw, grain and grain derivatives.

Current consumption levels of oat products are low. However, oats are a nutritious foodstuff, supplying protein of relatively good quality and significant quantities of vitamins and minerals. As a bland and nutritious foodstuff, oats are valuable for the nutrition of infants and the sustenance of adults. Oats are generally consumed as oatmeal or ro...

The effect of dietary iron levels on iron status, blood lipids and endogenous antioxidants was investigated in male and female rats. Diets low in iron (15 mg/kg Fe; LFe) or high in iron (400 mg/kg Fe; HFe) were given to groups of male (n = 6) and female (n = 6) weanling rats for six weeks. In a second experiment the same dietary iron levels were fe...

To test the a priori hypothesis that consumption of oats will lower the blood total cholesterol level and to assess modifiers and confounders of this association. A computerized literature (MEDLINE) search and the Quaker Oats Co identified published and unpublished trials as of March 1991. Raw data were requested for all trials. Trials were include...

Objectives. —To test the a priori hypothesis that consumption of oats will lower the blood total cholesterol level and to assess modifiers and confounders of this association. Data Sources. —A computerized literature (MEDLINE) search and the Quaker Oats Co identified published and unpublished trials as of March 1991. Raw data were requested for a...

Kernel (1 → 3) (1 → 4)-β-n-glucan, kernel protein and mean kernel size have been estimated in six cultivars of oats (Avena sativa) L, and eight wild Avena species grown at two levels of nitrogen fertility in a pot experiment. In the oat cultivars, kernel protein and kernel β-glucan were both increased at the higher nitrogen fertility level. Compari...

A method for the estimation of (1 → 3) (1 → 4)-β-d-glucan in oats - involving alkali extraction at 45 °C, precipitation with Calcofluor and the colorimetric estimation of glucose - has been modified and compared with a hydrazinolysis procedure. Close agreement between the methods was found for oat kernels and for oat bran samples. This indicates th...

Oil content has been found to range from 1.2–1.9% in a wide range of diverse field bean (Vicia faba) cultivars, populations and selections and from 1.4–2.8% in a narrower range of pea cultivars. The ranges in fatty acid composition for beans and peas respectively were palmitic, 13.9–21.0% and 12.0–16.6%, stearic 2.2–3.5% and 2.5–4.2%, oleic 15.0–33...

The inferior nutritional value of cereal protein is primarily because of the high content of the storage protein prolamin. These proteins are in general characterized by a very high content of proline and glutamine and a low content of lysine and other nutritionally essential amino acids. The cereals vary with respect to prolamin and lysine content...

The composition of oat husk has been determined in (i) 11 diverse oat genotypes, (ii) current high-yielding spring and winter varieties from trials in various regions of Britain, and (iii) samples obtained from two British oat mills. Husks were comprised mainly of cell wall (>83%) with about equal quantities of cellulose and hemicellulose (∼30-35%)...

Flavanol and total phenol contents have been determined in samples of barley grown in Britain under a wide range of environmental conditions. An assessment has also been made of the genetic variation in flavanol and total phenol contents among exotic genotypes and current UK varieties. Total phenol content decreased in the first 3 months immediatel...

Two European and three North American spring oat varieties, selected for their variation in grain protein percentage, were grown in a field experiment. Plants were sampled at regular intervals during growth and development, separated into grain and straw where appropriate, and analysed for protein and non-structural carbohydrate. Grain protein cont...

Five spring oats comprising two European varieties and three North American varieties were selected on the basis of differences in grain protein content (%) and grown in a field experiment with four nitrogen fertiliser treatments; (i) nil, (ii) early, (iii) late, (iv) early and late (double). Protein production (grain protein yield) and a number of...

Oil content and composition, protein content and grain weight have been estimated in 86 barley genotypes from diverse sources grown in a replicated field experiment. Overall range between genotypes in composition was: oil content, 1.9-4.1 %; palmitic, 21.4-28.7%; stearic, 0.6-1.8%; oleic, 10.4-16.9%; linoleic, 52.4-58.3%; linolenic, 4.5-7.3%. Moder...

A method is described for the routine estimation of oil content and composition in seed crops by determination of the total and component long-chain fatty acids. The oil was transmethylated without prior extraction using 2% H2SO4 in methanol at 80°C and the resultant fatty acid methyl esters separated and measured by gas-liquid chromatography. The...

The levels of hydrolytic and oxidative rancidity have been estimated in husked and naked (huskless) oat varieties stored under different conditions, viz. (i) varying moisture content, (ii) varying oxygen availability, (iii) after bruising, and (iv) after drying at different temperatures. Hydrolytic rancidity increased at higher moisture contents an...

The fatty acid composition of grain has been studied in six varieties of oats, two of wheat and two of barley, sown in pots in an unheated glasshouse in winter and in spring. Differences were found between the species in composition and in their response to sowing date. Oats showed the greatest varietal variation in both total fatty acid (TFA) cont...

Six spring varieties of oats were sown in a glasshouse in winter and in spring. The grain was analysed for oil, protein and kernel content and 1000-grain weight, and the maturation period was measured. Oil content varied from 2·4 to 7·9% and protein content from 7·9 to 16·3%. Varietal differences in oil content between varieties were recognized and...