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Health-promoting properties of barley: A review of nutrient and nutraceutical composition, functionality, bioprocessing, and health benefits
Critical Reviews In Food Science and Nutrition
Abstract
Barley is one of the world's oldest cereal crops forming an important component of many traditional diets. Barley is rich in a variety of bioactive phytochemicals with potentially health-promoting effects. However, its beneficial nutritional attributes are not being fully realized because of the limited number of foods it is currently utilized in. it is therefore crucial for the food industry to produce novel barley-based foods that are healthy and cater to customers' tastes. This article reviews the nutritional and functional characteristics of barley, with an emphasis on its ability to improve glucose/lipid metabolism. Then, recent trends in barley product development are discussed. Finally, current limitations and future research directions in glucolipid modulation mechanisms and barley bioprocessing are discussed.
... Barley, one of the world's oldest grains, is a key ingredient in several regional cuisines. Numerous bioactive phytochemicals with potential health benefits are abundant in barley [14]. Traditional refreshing drink called barley tea is popular in China, Japan, Korea and other countries. ...
... Traditional refreshing drink called barley tea is popular in China, Japan, Korea and other countries. Barley tea, also referred to as "Oriental Coffee", has a pleasant aroma [14]. The therapeutic properties of barley tea have long been documented in the Chinese medical dictionary, Materia Medica, claiming that it can clear the stomach, aid in digestion and remove oil. ...
... The primary antioxidants in barley tea are phenolic compounds and some of these molecules have demonstrated better antioxidant properties in-vitro as compared to synthetic antioxidants, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) [59]. Against Streptococcus mutans, barley tea exhibited potent anti-adhesive properties [14]. These results imply that, drinking barley tea might limit cariogenic bacteria from colonizing tooth surfaces or improve oral health. ...
Due to growing consumer interest in fitness and wellbeing, foods and beverages with therapeutic and functional qualities are in higher demand. In addition to being significant staple crops and major providers of nutrition and energy, cereals are rich in bioactive phytochemicals with health benefits. Cereal grains offer a lot of promise for processing into functional beverages since these include a wide variety of bioactive phytochemicals such as phenolic compounds, carotenoids, dietary fibres, phytosterols, tocols, gamma-oryzanol, and phytic acid. Despite the fact that a wide variety of beverages made from cereal grains are produced globally, they have received very little technological and scientific attention. The beverages confer replacements for milk made from cereal grains, roasted cereal grain teas and fermented non-alcoholic cereal grain drinks. This review emphasizes on the three primary kinds of functional beverages made from cereal grains. Further, the potential applications and directions for the future related to these beverages are discussed with elaborated processing methods, health benefits and product attributes. Cereal grain-based beverages may represent a promising new class of healthy functional beverages in our daily lives as the food industry gets more diverse.
... Эта концепция особенно актуальна, если учитывать местные и адаптированные сорта зерновой культуры, которые имеют решающее значение для формирования устойчивости агроэкосистем, особенно в условиях современных глобальных изменений [10]. Кроме того, рядом работ [11], представленных в открытой печати, подчеркивается, что на протяжении многих лет потребление сырьевых ингредиентов из цельнозернового ячменя и его компонентов было связано со снижением риска развития ряда хронических заболеваний, включая сердечно-сосудистые заболевания, метаболический синдром и некоторые формы рака. Тем не менее, несмотря на свой производственный потенциал и возможность оказывать положительное влияние на организм человека в долгосрочной перспективе, большая часть производимого зерна ячменя используется на корм животным или для производства солода, тогда как только 10-15 % -непосредственно для потребления в пищу населения [12]. ...
... -общее содержание полифенолов в пересчете на галловую кислоту (мг-экв. (EQ) / 100 г) спектрофотометрическим с использованием реактива Фолина -Чакольтеу [11]. ...
The development of technology for controlled germination of grains and raw ingredients based on them, as well as the adaptation of methods and approaches for each individual crop, is one of the promising areas in the development of a line of food products that meets all the requirements of the modern population. The novelty of the research lies in the use of short-term temperature exposure as a disinfecting step before the process of germination of barley grain and the formation of an evidence base that this type of exposure does not have a negative impact on the remaining technological stages. The purpose of the study was to study the possibility of using barley grain in germination technology for the further production of raw ingredients with increased antioxidant properties. Research methods. The objects of study were barley grain (Hordeum vulgare L.), harvested from 2019 to 2022. The production of sprouted grain included separate technological stages: disinfection (short-term exposure to high temperatures), soaking (in water at 20 ± 2 °C for 20 hours) and germination (in a chamber with a temperature of 22 ± 2 °C and air humidity 95 ± 3 % , with a time range of 12–48 hours). Standard methods were used to evaluate: organoleptic indicators, humidity, nature, mass fraction of protein, ability and energy of germination, as well as microbiological indicators. To select the optimal duration of germination, the total content of flavonoids, polyphenols and antioxidant activity was controlled. Results. As a result of the studies, it was established that the use of short-term thermal exposure at a temperature of 190 °C and a duration of 10 s allows minimizing the risks of activating the development of the present microflora of barley grain. Using the proposed approaches, when carrying out the technological stage of germination, it was possible to identify the optimal duration of the process – 36 hours, which leads to an increase in total antioxidant activity by an average of 46 %, flavonoid content by 560 % and polyphenols by 145 %.
... Barley also possesses functional phytochemicals, including flavonoids, lignans, phytosterols, and phenolic acids [6,7]. Due to its rich content of nutritional compounds and functional metabolites, barley plays a crucial role in promoting numerous health benefits [8]. For example, the dietary fiber in barley is known for its In this study, 367 barley accessions originally collected from 27 different countries (Table S1) were obtained from the National Agrobiodiversity Center, Rural Development Administration (RDA Jeonju, Republic of Korea). ...
... The effect of origin could be attributed to the difference in geological conditions, which impacts the chemical composition of plants over time [62]. Additionally, it was discovered that origins with higher TPC exhibited comparatively higher levels of antioxidant activities, which further emphasizes the role of barley polyphenols in regulating reactive radicals [6][7][8]. ...
This study characterized the diversity of 367 barley collections from 27 different countries, including 5 control cultivars, using several phenotypic traits. Morphological traits, including spike type, grain morphology, cold damage, and lodging rate, exhibited wide variations. Eighteen accessions matured early, while four accessions had longer culm and spike lengths than the controls. The ranges of total phenolic content (TPC), β-glucan content, ABTS•+ scavenging activity, DPPH• scavenging activity, and reducing power (RP) were 1.79–6.79 mg GAE/g, 0.14–8.41 g/100 g, 3.07–13.54 mg AAE/100 g, 1.56–6.24 mg AAE/g, and 1.31–7.86 mg AAE/g, respectively. Betaone, one of the controls, had the highest β-glucan content. Two accessions had β-glucan levels close to Betaone. Furthermore, 20 accessions exhibited increased TPC compared to the controls, while 5 accessions displayed elevated ABTS•+ scavenging activity. Among these, one accession also exhibited higher DPPH• scavenging activity and RP simultaneously. Based on the statistical analysis of variance, all the quantitative traits were significantly affected by the difference in origin (p < 0.05). On the other hand, grain morphology significantly affected biochemical traits. Multivariate analysis classified barley accessions into eight groups, demonstrating variations in quantitative traits. There were noteworthy correlations between biochemical and agronomical traits. Overall, this study characterized several barley varieties of different origins, anticipating future genomic research. The barley accessions with superior performances could be valuable alternatives in breeding.
... Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), ranked as the fourth most important cereal crop following wheat, corn, and rice, is cultivated to provide nutrition for livestock, humans, and the brewing sector. As an ancient and versatile grain, barley has played a vital role in human history, significantly contributing to agriculture, nutrition, and culture [3]. However, drought stress has been shown to reduce barley grain yield by 49-87% [4]. ...
... This observed effect may be attributed to the presence of phenolic compounds in yacon (Table 1) [38]. These phenolic compounds may contribute to obesity prevention through multiple mechanisms, including reduction of food intake, attenuation of inflammatory responses, suppression of oxidative stress, stimulation of fatty acid β-oxidation, inhibition of lipogenesis, enhancement of lipolysis, and limitation of adipocyte differentiation and proliferation [39]. The difference in weight responses between control and MetS animals treated with extract might seem contradictory. ...
Background and aim
Smallanthus sonchifolius (Poepp. and Hendl.) H. Robinson, commonly known as yacon, is a medicinal species recognized for its therapeutic properties. The hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of yacon root tubers have been well-documented across various models of metabolic syndrome. However, research on the effects of biologically active compounds derived from yacon leaves remains limited. The aim of the study was to evaluate the hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of an aqueous extract of yacon leaves under the fructose-induced experimental metabolic syndrome.
Experimental procedure
In the study were used male Wistar white rats, in which metabolic syndrome was induced by consuming a 10 % fructose solution. Animals were given an aqueous extract of yacon leaves at a dose of 500 mg per kilogram of body weight for seven and fourteen days following the establishment of metabolic syndrome. Hypoglycemic (glucose and glycosylate hemoglobin concentrations) and hypolipidemic (plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins and high-density lipoproteins levels) effects and antioxidant activity (activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, NO-synthase, the content of nitrite anion (NO₂‾) and nitrate anion (NO₃‾), content of carbonyl groups and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) of extract were then evaluated.
Results
The 14 days use of aqueous extract of yacon for the treatment of fructose-induced metabolic syndrome leads to a decrease of animals’ body weight (59.94 %), glucose concentration (10.33 %), glycosylated hemoglobin content (61.58 %), blood plasma triglycerides (50.35 %), cholesterol (24.46 %), low-density lipoproteins (21.56 %), as well as to increase in high-density lipoproteins concentration (29.29 %), paraoxonase activity (56.03 %). In animals with experimental MetS yacon cause oxidative-nitrative stress indicators normalization: increase in SOD (47.85 %) and GPO activity (16.55 %); decrease in TBARS content (23.77 %) and proteins oxidative modification products of neutral character (52.56 %); decrease in NOS activity (12.30 %), which was accompanied by a decrease in nitrate content (10.44 %).
Conclusions
The aqueous extract of yacon demonstrates significant hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects in a fructose-induced model of experimental metabolic syndrome, contributing to the normalization of both prooxidant and antioxidant states in rat erythrocytes.
... The resistant starch of barley helps to reduce blood glucose levels as well as improves lipid profile and bowel health [52] . In addition to having anti-oxidant properties, tocols found in barley modulate the immune system, reduce the risk for cardiovascular diseases and stroke [49] , and can suppress cancer by its molecular mechanisms of cellular proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, metastasis, and inflammation [53] . Additionally, barley has been reported to possess antiinflammatory [54] , wound-healing [55,56,57] , gastroprotective [58,59,60] , hepatoprotective [61] , neuroprotective [62] , nephroprotective [63] and skin-booster activities [64] . ...
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is one of the most ancient cereals that has been used for food and medicinal purposes since the distant past. Historically, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Chinese, and Indian civilizations have relied heavily on barley as a nutritious food source as well as a therapeutic agent for various ailments. Its health-protective activity is endorsed by many religions and traditional medicines including the Unani system of medicine. In Unani medicine, barley is prescribed for many health conditions such as anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, etc. In Prophetic medicine, barley is prescribed to be consumed as talbina (porridge made from barley flour, milk and honey) to remove weakness of the heart. Because of its unique chemical composition and health effects, barley is gaining unprecedented attention from food scientists, dieticians, food industries and consumers throughout the world. In comparison with other cereal crops, like wheat, rice and maize, barley grains are superior in dietary fiber (such as β-glucan) and tocols, which are valuable for human health. It is well-documented that diets rich in these chemical compounds can protect against hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Owing to the present knowledge of barley’s health-promoting constituents, it can also understand why it was a popular food ingredient in the diets of our ancestors. This review article attempts to briefly summarize the origin, classification, and description of barley grain besides its use as a food and medicinal supplement from ancient times to the present era with scientific evidence.
... Barley bran and spent grains Bread, biscuits, snack, yogurt, beverages β-glucan, vitamin E, resistant starch, caffeic acid and cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, vanillic acid, polypeptides, lysine, γ-aminobutyric acid -Improve lipid profile and insulin resistance -Decrease thrombotic and inflammatory markers -Reduce risk of metabolic syndrome -Promote gut health [115,116] Wheat bran Bread, cookies, cakes, ready-to-eat cereal, Chinese steamed bread, noodles and pasta, fried dough ...
Purpose of Review
Global food production leads to substantial amounts of agricultural and food waste that contribute to climate change and hinder international efforts to end food insecurity and poverty. Food waste is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, fibers, phenolic compounds, lipids, and bioactive peptides. These compounds can be used to create food products that help reduce heart disease risk and promote sustainability. This review examines the potential cardiovascular benefits of nutrients found in different food waste categories (such as fruits and vegetables, cereal, dairy, meat and poultry, and seafood), focusing on animal and clinical evidence, and giving examples of functional food products in each category.
Recent Findings
Current evidence suggests that consuming fruit and vegetable pomace, cereal bran, and whey protein may lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, particularly in individuals who are at risk. This is due to improved lipid profile, reduced blood pressure and increased flow-mediated dilation, enhanced glucose and insulin regulation, decreased inflammation, as well as reduced platelet aggregation and improved endothelial function. However, the intervention studies are limited, including a low number of participants and of short duration.
Summary
Food waste has great potential to be utilized as cardioprotective products. Longer-term intervention studies are necessary to substantiate the health claims of food by-products. Technological advances are needed to improve the stability and bioavailability of bioactive compounds. Implementing safety assessments and regulatory frameworks for functional food derived from food waste is crucial. This is essential for maximizing the potential of food waste, reducing carbon footprint, and improving human health.
... In this way, barley functional foods and genes help overcome obesity. Moreover, barley is rich in a variety of functional ingredients with health-promoting effects, especially those that improve glucolipid modulation mechanisms [49]. In one study, barley (80%) reduced blood concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides in fattening pigs; however, the HDL content increased extremely significantly to 1.04 mmol/dm 3 [50]. ...
Nutritional therapy, for example through beer, is the best solution to human chronic diseases. In this article, we demonstrate the physiological mechanisms of the functional ingredients in beer with health-promoting effects, based on the PubMed, Google, CNKI, and ISI Web of Science databases, published from 1997 to 2024. Beer, a complex of barley malt and hops, is rich in functional ingredients. The health effects of beer against 26 chronic diseases are highly similar to those of barley due to the physiological mechanisms of polyphenols (phenolic acids, flavonoids), melatonin, minerals, bitter acids, vitamins, and peptides. Functional beer with low purine and high active ingredients made from pure barley malt, as well as an additional functional food, represents an important development direction, specifically, ginger beer, ginseng beer, and coix-lily beer, as consumed by our ancestors ca. 9000 years ago. Low-purine beer can be produced via enzymatic and biological degradation and adsorption of purines, as well as dandelion addition. Therefore, this review paper not only reveals the physiological mechanisms of beer in overcoming chronic human diseases, but also provides a scientific basis for the development of functional beer with health-promoting effects.
... Currently, there are numerous reviews available on barley food that mainly focus on processing, chemical composition and techno-functional properties (Farag et al., 2022;Zhang et al., 2023a). Furthermore, it is worth noting that a limited number of recent reviews have addressed the potential health benefits of barley for metabolic diseases (Geng et al., 2022;Li et al., 2022;Raj et al., 2023). ...
A healthy lifestyle with a high intake of whole grains is preferred for the effective type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevention. Plenty of studies have shown the health benefits of barley on metabolic diseases, but there is a dearth of review articles specifically focused on antidiabetic effects. Hence, it is urgent to consolidate the up‐to‐date findings and provide guidance for future research endeavours in a timely review. This review aims to provide an overview on barley consumption for T2DM prevention and management, focusing on certain key aspects such as glycaemic control, insulin sensitivity and lipid profile. Extensive research has highlighted the potential benefits of barley grains in T2DM prevention, attributed to their high dietary fibre content, a diverse array of phytochemicals, and bioactive peptides. The dietary fibre (e.g., β‐glucan and arabinoxylan), characterised by their viscous and water‐soluble nature, is involved in modulating gastrointestinal physiology, thereby exerting regulatory effects on blood glucose and insulin levels. Phenolic compounds in barley have the potential to inhibit α‐amylase and α‐glucosidase enzymes, offering further support for glucose homeostasis. In addition, outer layers of barley are found to have high levels of fibres and bioactive compounds. The levels of these bioactive compounds can be improved through food processing techniques. Future investigation is necessary to establish the relationships between barley bioactive components and their specific antidiabetic capacity to improve study consistency and innovative strategies to incorporate barley into daily diet.
... This work provided a new way of barley functional food and genes to help us overcome obesity [64]. Barley is rich in a variety of functional ingredients with health-promoting effects, especially improve glucolipid modulation mechanisms [65]. Barley 80% reduced blood concentrations of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and triglycerides in fattening pigs, however HDL content increased extremely significantly to 1. 04 mmol / dm3 [66]. ...
Nutrition therapy is the best solution to human chronic diseases, especially beer and barley which play an important role in human health and civilization. We demonstrated the actional mechanism of functional ingredients in beer and barley to combat chronic diseases, based on PubMed, google, CNKI, and ISI Web of Science databases from 1997 to 2024. Beer is rich in functional ingredients that is a complex of barley malt and hops; the health effect of beer against 26 chronic diseases is highly similar to that of barley, due to molecular mechanism of polyphenols (phenolic acids, flavonoids), melatonin, minerals, bitter acids, vitamins, and peptides. The ancient German Beer Purity Law provides much scientific basis today, especially indirectly supporting the human one cell disease theory. Low purine beer can be produced by enzymatic and biological degradation and adsorption of purines as well as dandelion addition. Functional beer with low purine and high active ingredients made from Beer Purity and barley malt as well as functional foods addition will be the key and important development direction, such as ginger beer and ginseng beer, especially coix-lily beer at the ancestors ca. 9000 years ago. This review paper not only reveals the actional mechanism of beer overcoming human chronic diseases, but also provides scientific basis for the development of functional beer for the prevention and treatment of human chronic diseases.
... This concept is particularly amplified if addressed to local and adapted varieties, pivotal for resilient agroecosystems, especially in the current global change (Ficiciyan et al, 2018). Furthermore, for many years, the consumption of whole-grain barley and its components has been linked to a decreased risk for several chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and some forms of cancer (Zhang et al., 2021). Still, despite its agronomic and health-promoting potential, most of the barley produced is used for animal feed or malting, whereas only 2% is used directly for human consumption (Sharma et al., 2021) and the food industry is faced with the challenge of producing novel barley-based foods that are both healthy and tasty. ...
... The ingredients responsible for the flavour and taste characteristics of barley tea have also been identified using analytical sensory assessment, gas chromatography, and olfactometry [43]. A barley beverage emulsion was produced by baking, grinding, and enzymatic hydrolysis of barley [58]. ...
Barley is one of the most important cereal crops cultivated in all agricultural regions across the world. Barley is high in proteins, and carbohydrates, including Beta-glucan, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. Barley is gaining popularity among agricultural and culinary experts due to its unique chemical composition and health benefits. Beta-glucans, a kind of soluble fiber found in barley, may help decrease cholesterol levels. Consuming barley could reduce total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Barley also contains antioxidant qualities and may help manage blood sugar levels. It is thought to be a beneficial supplement to a balanced diet for persons at risk of cardiovascular disease. Barley has been shown to have antitumor properties through regulating the immune system and limiting cancer cell proliferation and dissemination. Furthermore, barley possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory characteristics, which may contribute to its anticancer potential. Barley and barley-based food products have a broad range of applications in a variety of sectors, including food, beverage, bread, animal feed, and cosmetic ingredients. This review investigates the phytochemicals found in barley, such as phenolic acid, flavonoids, lignans, tocols, phytosterols, and folates. This review also highlights the health benefits of barley, such as cholesterol and blood sugar reduction, anticancer activity, anti-oxidant and detoxifying properties, anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties. This paper discusses the several properties, uses of barley, health promotion activity of barley and different aspects, as well as current and future advances in developing various value-added products of barley.
... Eating whole barley helps control weight and reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, type II diabetes and colon cancer [105,106]. However, the sensory quality of barley was poor due to its high dietary fiber content and low gluten protein content [107]. The majority of barley production has been used for animal feed and brewing material; only about 10% of barley is consumed directly by humans in China, leaving a lot of waste [108,109]. ...
Fermentation is one of the most economical and safe methods to improve the nutritional value, sensory quality and functional characteristics of raw materials, and it is also an important method for cereal processing. This paper reviews the effects of microbial fermentation on cereals, focusing on their nutritional value and health benefits, including the effects of fermentation on the protein, starch, phenolic compounds contents, and other nutrient components of cereals. The bioactive compounds produced by fermented cereals have positive effects on health regulation. Finally, the future market development of fermented cereal products is summarized and prospected.
... Plants have long been thought to be the foundation of nutrient-dense and useful diets, as well as the source of modern medicines throughout human history, which is not only because of their easy availability and low cost, but also because they are believed to have less harmful effects than synthetic drugs (37,38). In addition, when used in combination with different conventional chemotherapy drugs, they produce synergistic effects, thereby reducing the dose of drugs used at the same time, optimizing efficacy and toxicity, and may overcome the problem of drug resistance (39). ...
Nigella sativa is a valuable herb for its functional compositions in both food and medication. N. sativa seeds can enhance immunity, anti-inflammation and analgesia and hypoglycemia, but most of the related researches are related to volatile oil and extracts, and the activity and mechanism of compounds is not clear. In this study, Ethyl-α-D-galactopyranoside (EG), Methyl-α-D-glucoside (MG), 3-O-[β-D-xylopyranose-(1 → 3)-α-L-rhamnose-(1 → 2)-α-L-arabinose]-28-O-[α-L-rhamnose-(1 → 4)-β-D-glucopyranose-L-(1 → 6)-β-D-glucopyranose]-hederagenin (HXRARG) and 3-O-[β-D-xylopyranose-(1 → 3)-α-L-rhamnose-(1 → 2)-α-L-arabinose]-hederagenin (HXRA) were isolated and identified from N. sativa seeds. In addition, four compounds could activate NF-κB pathway by promoting the expression of phosphorylation of P65 and IκBα, promoting the phosphorylation of JNK, Erk and P38 to activate MAPK signaling pathway, enhancing the proliferation and phagocytic activity of RAW264.7 cells, and promoting the release of NO, TNF-α and IL-6 on RAW264.7 cell in vitro. The results showed that N. sativa can be used as dietary supplement to enhance immune.
... Many bioactive compounds have been detected from the berries of L. barbarum L., including polysaccharides, phenolic compounds, fatty acids, carotenoids, and tocopherols. These were regarded as the major phytochemical substances of L. barbarum L. berries responsible for the main bioactivities, including antioxidative activity, anti-inflammatory activity, antifatigue, anticancer activity and as well for their protective effect on metabolic syndromes [4][5][6]. ...
Lycium genus has been recognized as a favorable source of novel bioactive compounds with a variety of biological activities. Until date, numerous studies have focused on the chemical constituents and biological functions of the L. barbarum L. berries in the area of traditional medicine mainly focusing on its phytochemical and pharmacological aspects. Beside medicinal use, L. barbarum L. berries and derived food products can be classified as dietary supplement or "superfood" without explicit toxicity based upon their immense health potential. We applied the holistic approach for the nutritional characterization and functional evaluation of L. barbarum L. berries. We aim to provide a recent data on the chemical ingredients and their structural characterization; while placing greater emphasis on their wide-ranging in vitro and in vivo health effects.
... 20,21 Therefore, much attention has been paid to some food factors that may be beneficial for the prevention of body fat accumulation and possibly reduce the risk of obesity. [22][23][24] Therefore, the aims of this study were: (i) to prepare bitter melon powder (BMP) with different sizes and compare the differences in physical and chemical properties; (ii) to investigate the effect of the superfine grinding process on the total phenolic composition and antioxidant activity before and after in vitro gastrointestinal digestion; and (iii) to compare their anti-obesity activity in HFDinduced obese rats. The results of this work will provide a scientific foundation for the application of superfine grinding in the functional foods. ...
BACKGROUND
Bitter melon is widely applied to the treatment of diabetes and obesity, but few studies focus on the processing procedure of bitter melon. The differences in physical properties, bioaccessibility, and anti‐obesity activity of bitter melon powder (BMP) produced with or without superfine grinding were investigated to optimize an effective processing procedure.
RESULTS
Results showed that superfine grinding could improve the physical properties of BMP, represented by greater bulk density, lower water‐holding capacity, and higher bioactive compounds’ solubilities. Superfine grinding remarkably affected the bioaccessibility of phenolics and the antioxidant capacity of bitter melon during in vitro digestion. Meanwhile, after a 4 week treatment, 25 μm BMP showed a greater anti‐obesity activity with reduction in the serum insulin levels from 16.47 to 13.10 mIU L⁻¹, reversing high‐fat‐diet‐induced glucose intolerance, decreasing levels of serum lipids and hepatic lipid accumulation compared with the high‐fat diet group.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, superfine grinding was beneficial for improving the physical properties and bioaccessibility, simultaneously facilitating the anti‐obesity activity of bitter melon, which will provide a reference for direct utilization of bitter melon as a health food to relieve symptoms of obesity. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
... Excellent biocompatibility and low immunogenicity enable the fish scale peptides to be used in biomedical fields, such as wound healing and medical dressings. Due to its strong antioxidant, moisturizing, and whitening properties, fish scale peptide has been approved for uses in cosmetics, health foods, and other products (9,10). At present, the overuse of popular skin-whitening agents on the market, such as arbutin and hydroquinone, can cause permanent white patches on the skin (11). ...
To explore the physicochemical properties and biological functions of silver carp scale peptide (SCSP), its molecular-weight fractions SCSP-I, II, and III obtained by nanofiltration were assessed for their solubility, emulsibility, free radical scavenging ability, effect on the proliferation of mouse B16 cells. The results showed that the solubility of each fraction of SCSP was higher than 90%, SCSP-II and III were higher than 95%. The antioxidant powers on ⦁OH, O2-⦁ and Fe³⁺ were ranked as SCSP-III > SCSP-II > SCSP-I > SCSP. All fractions of SCSP had no toxic or side effects in mouse B16 melanoma cells experiments in vitro. At a concentration of 0.01 mg/mL, the tyrosinase activity of B16 cells in the SCSP-II fraction was significantly lower than that of the α-arbutin (P < 0.05), at 65.37%. The molecular weight distribution of SCSP was 399–1404 Dalton and 13 peptide sequences were detected. Among them, SCSP-II contained many hydrophobic amino acids, and SCSP-III stood out for combining arginine with hydrophobic amino acids. This may be the reason why the low molecular-weight SCSPs show the strong antioxidant activity and strong tyrosinase inhibition. The work provides a data base for the development of SCSP and increases the possibility of its application.
... Cereals exhibit good antioxidant capacity due to the phenolic compounds distributed in the outer layer of the grain, and since most phenolics exist in the bound state [35]. Fermented cereal samples (including buckwheat, wheat germ, barley, and rye) with L. rhamnosus had higher antioxidant activity than those fermented with S. cerevisiae [15]. ...
This review reports on the effects of fermentation on the chemical constituents and antioxidant activity of plant-based food materials. Fermentation involves a series of reactions that modify the chemical components of the substrate. It could be considered a tool to increase the bioactive compounds and functional properties of food plant materials. Oxidative damage is key to the progression of many human diseases, and the production of antioxidant compounds by fermentation will be helpful to reduce the risk of these diseases. Fermentation also can improve antioxidant activity given its association with increased phytochemicals, antioxidant polysaccharides, and antioxidant peptides produced by microbial hydrolysis or biotransformation. Additionally, fermentation can encourage the breakdown of plant cell walls, which helps to liberate or produce various antioxidant compounds. Overall, results indicated that fermentation in many cases contributed to enhancing antioxidants’ content and antioxidant capacity, supporting the fermentation use in the production of value-added functional food. This review provides an overview of the factors that impact the effects of fermentation on bioactive compound composition and antioxidant activity. The impacts of fermentation are summarized as a reference to its effects on food plant material.
The persistent inflammation of the intestinal mucosa is the main characteristic of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a lifelong illness that affects people of both genders. The exact etiology is still undefined while previously it was attributed to genetic components. Later, it was investigated that the environment has an equal effect on the development of IBD encompassing both Crohn’s disease (CD) and Ulcerative colitis (UC). Among environmental risk factors linked to IBD, diet, notably the transition toward the Western diet, is the most noticeable element that contributes to IBD. This comprehensive overview summarizes the present literature on the role of food and food groups in IBD nutrition and management. Increased consumption of sugar, fats, and/or proteins, decreased consumption of fruits and vegetables, and increased use of emulsifiers or other binding compounds are among the most significant candidates that lead to inflammation in the intestines of healthy individuals. Furthermore, low dietary habits, including selective malnutrition, obesity, and sarcopenia, are linked with poor clinical results, treatment responsiveness, and, as a result, quality of life. Therefore, the trend in the management of IBD has shifted toward dietary therapies and strategies like Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), the Mediterranean diet (MD), Enteral Nutrition (EN), Crohn’s disease exclusion diet (CDED), Inflammatory bowel disease-Anti-inflammatory diet (IBD-AID), and others are reported to have had a positive association with reducing the underlying IBD symptoms and remission of intestinal homeostasis.
A previous study has revealed that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (Lp. plantarum) dy-1 fermentation changed the structural properties and in vitro fecal fermentation characteristics of barley dietary fiber. However, the health-promoting effects of fermented dietary fiber in vivo remained unclear. This study was aimed at comparing the ameliorative effects of barley dietary fiber fermented with or without Lp. plantarum dy-1 on lipid metabolism, gut microbiota composition and hepatic energy metabolism. After a twelve-week intervention, fermented barley dietary fiber (FBDF) reduced the body weight and fat accumulation in liver and epididymal white adipose tissue, improved HFD-induced hyperlipidemia and glucose intolerance, and increased short chain fatty acid (SCFA) levels, exhibiting effects that were better than those of raw barley dietary fiber (RBDF). FBDF supplementation improved the gut microbiota composition, specifically enhancing the abundance of probiotic and SCFA-producing bacteria, such as Akkermansia and Muribaculaceae, while RBDF exhibited regulatory effects on harmful bacteria (Escherichia-Shigella and Desulfovibrionaceae). Additionally, FBDF up-regulated the expression of genes related to energy metabolic processes, such as aerobic respiration and oxidative phosphorylation, inhibited the genes related to lipid biosynthetic metabolism, and improved the activities of hepatic energy metabolism-related enzymes, demonstrating effects that were better than those of RBDF. Therefore, this study indicated the potential of using FBDFs as healthy food resources to prevent obesity or as prebiotics to improve gut microbiota.
Today, the development of the food industry is aimed at creating balanced products that have beneficial properties for the human body in the long term. As one of these approaches, the use of sprouted plant raw materials (barley grains) in fermented milk products – yoghurts – can be proposed. The proposed plant raw materials have a number of useful properties: total antioxidant activity (136 ± 4) DPPH%, flavonoid content (96 ± 5) %, polyphenols (125 ± 4) %, and also contains a large amount of dietary fiber and minerals. The most effective way is to add the vegetable raw ingredient after the fermentation process and the formation of a product clot. The addition of the plant ingredient was carried out in quantities of 1, 2 and 3%. A direct relationship was noted between the amount of added additive and the degree of syneresis; application in larger quantities partially worsens the syneresis properties of the fermented milk product, and the viscosity of yogurt also slightly decreases. At the same time, a positive effect on the development of microflora of fermented milk products was noted, the presence of Streptococcus thermophilus in the form of mono-, diplo- and streptococcal forms was revealed.
BACKGROUND
As natural polymer materials, barley proteins have been utilized to fabricate nanocarriers to encapsulate and delivery hydrophobic bioactive ingredients. However, as a result of the high proportion of hydrophobic amino acids and structural rigidity, barley protein‐based nanocarriers tend to aggregate easily and have a low loading capacity, which greatly limits their application. In the present study, barley proteins were enzymolyzed to fabricate nanomicelles and then applied to encapsulate hydrophobic bioactive ingredient.
RESULTS
Self‐assembled barley peptides could be obtained by controllable enzymolysis of barley proteins. The obtained barley peptides could self‐assemble into nanomicelles (BPNMs) with a diameter of approximately 90 nm when the concentration was > 2.1 μg mL⁻¹. Hydrophobic interaction, disulfide bonds and hydrogen bonds were involved in maintaining the structure of BPNMs. Six self‐assembled peptides (QQPFPQ, QTPLPQ, QLPQIPE, QPFPQQPQLPH, QPFPQQPPFGL and QPFPQQPPFWQQQ) were identified and they were characterized by alternating arrangement of hydrophobic amino acids and hydrophilic amino acids. Moreover, BPNMs were utilized to encapsulate hydrophobic bioactive ingredient quercetin. When quercetin was encapsulated by BPNMs, its water solubility was significantly increased, being approximately 30‐fold higher than free quercetin. Meanwhile, encapsulation of BPNMs could greatly increase quercetin stability. The interaction between BPNMs and quercetin occurred spontaneously, mainly driven by van der Waals forces and hydrogen bonds.
CONCLUSION
In the present study, BPNMs were successfully developed and could be used as a promising delivery system to improve the water solubility and stability of hydrophobic bioactive ingredients. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Objective: The present review article focuses on exploring the wide dimensions of barley including botanical description, nutritional composition, phytochemistry, experimental pharmacology, and clinical studies along with its traditional uses in Unani medicine. Background: Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) which is referred to as ‘Jao’ in the Unani system of medicine has a long history of utilization as a food and medicine. It belongs to family Poaceae and is considered as one of the founder crops of old-world agriculture. Methodology: A manual literature survey of classical Unani texts was conducted to collect the information available on ‘Jao’. Besides, a comprehensive search of electronic databases like PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct, was carried out to collect all the available information regarding its phytochemical, pharmacological and clinical studies. Result: In Unani medicine, barley is an important drug commonly used in many disorders of the respiratory system, gastrointestinal system, musculoskeletal system, skin, etc. It is used to treat obesity, diabetes, headache, pain and inflammation of the throat, acute swelling of joints and gout, chronic swellings, diarrhoea, fever, skin eruptions, hyperpigmentation of the skin, etc. Recent studies revealed that barley constitutes beta-glucan and a myriad of bioactive compounds that play numerous biological activities such as hypoglycemic, hypocholesterolemic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-obesity, anticancer, and wound healing activities. Conclusion: Barley is a potent drug that exhibits a wide range of health benefits, most of which have been confirmed via preclinical and clinical studies. This review may thus be helpful for the research community as well as common people to avail the benefits of this drug. Keywords: Barley, Beta-glucan, Hordeum vulgare, Jao, Unani medicine
Objectives
Trilobatin, a glycosylated dihydrochalcone, has been reported to have anti-diabetic properties. However, the underlying mechanism remains unexplained.
Methods
In this investigation, the regulation of trilobatin on glucose metabolism of insulin resistance (IR)-HepG2 cells and streptozocin (STZ)-induced mice and its mechanism were evaluated.
Key findings
Different doses of trilobatin (5, 10 and 20 μM) increased glucose consumption, glycogen content, hexokinase (HK), and pyruvate kinase (PK) activity in IR-HepG2 cells. Among them, the HK and PK activity in IR-HepG2 cells treated with 20 μM trilobatin were 1.84 and 2.05 times than those of the IR-group. The overeating, body and tissue weight, insulin levels, liver damage, and lipid accumulation of STZ-induced mice were improved after feeding with different doses of trilobatin (10, 50, and 100 mg/kg/d) for 4 weeks. Compared with STZ-induced mice, fasting blood glucose decreased by 61.11% and fasting insulin (FINS) increased by 48.6% after feeding trilobatin (100 mg/kg/d). Meanwhile, data from quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) revealed trilobatin ameliorated glycogen synthesis via the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt)/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) signaling pathway in IR-HepG2 cells and in STZ-induced mice. Furthermore, in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that trilobatin ameliorated oxidative stress by regulating the mRNA expression of nuclear erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf2)/kelch-like ECH associated protein-1 (Keap-1) pathway as well as heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO-1).
Conclusions
Our research reveals a novel pharmacological activity of trilobatin: regulating glucose metabolism through PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β and Nrf2/Keap-1 signaling pathways, improving insulin resistance and reducing oxidative stress. Trilobatin can be used as a reliable drug resource for the treatment of glucose metabolism disorders.
Grain shape and plumpness affect barley yield. Despite numerous studies on shrunken endosperm mutants in barley, their molecular mechanism and application potential in the food industry are largely unknown. Here, map-based cloning, co-segregation analyses, and allelic variant validation revealed that the loss of HORVU6Hr1G037950 encoding an ADP-glucose transporter caused the shrunken endosperm in sex1. Haplotype analysis suggested that hap4 in the promoter sequence was positively related to the hundred-grain weight showing a breeding potential. A pair of near-isogenic lines targeting HORVU6Hr1G037950 was produced and characterized to investigate molecular mechanisms that SEX1 regulates endosperm development. Results presented that the absence of the SEX1 gene led to the decrease of starch content and A-type granules size, the increase of β-glucan, protein, gelatinization temperature, soluble sugar content, amylopectin A chains, and B1 chains. Enzymatic activity, transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed the loss of SEX1 results in an impaired ADP-glucose-to-starch conversion process, consequently leading to higher soluble sugar contents and lower starch accumulation, thereby inducing a shrunken-endosperm phenotype in sex1. Taken together, this study provides new insights into barley grain development, and the elevated protein and β-glucan contents of the whole meal in sex1 imply its promising application in the food industry.
Tongxie Yaofang (TXYF), a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with four components as follows: Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (baizhu), Radix Paeoniae Alba (baishao), Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae (chenpi) and Radix Saposhnikovia Divaricata (fangfeng), benefits irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Nonetheless, proofs of this formula ameliorating D-IBS and T2DM are required. This research aimed at investigating the efficacy of TXYF in treating inflammation in rats with D-IBS and T2DM using animal models. In this study, gavage with high-fat diet, fasciculation, and senna was given to develop rat models with target diseases. To determine intestinal inflammations, major inflammatory factors, and intestinal permeability proteins, H&E staining, ELISA, and immunohistochemistry methods were employed, respectively. This study also utilized Western blot to discover potential inflammatory targets. Results of this research illustrates that TXYF treatment reduced the level of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, and raised the IL-10 concentration in liver-depressed spleende ficient rats with D-IBS and T2DM, indicating controlled inflammatory reactions. Staining analysis also showed improved disease states of animal models. Furthermore, efficient rebounds of claudin-1, an intestinal permeability-associated protein, were detected. Moreover, TXYF may treat D-IBS and T2DM in rats via the rage pathway.
The intestinal barrier plays a critical role in the health of the body because it not only protects against pathogens but also allows beneficial small molecule components to enter the body. Dietary components also directly interact with the gastrointestinal tract and therefore influence the integrity of the gastrointestinal tract. The primary nutrients in the diet include macromolecular substances such as protein, fat and carbohydrates, as well as small molecular substances such as minerals and vitamins. In addition, fruits and vegetables are also rich in polyphenols. Most of these substances are digested and come into direct contact with the intestinal tract in the form of small molecules, which substantially affect intestinal barrier function. This paper reviewed the effects of these common food components on intestinal barrier function and the basic structure of the intestinal barrier. It introduced the possible molecular biological mechanism affecting intestinal barrier function.
Fermentation by lactic acid bacteria can improve the nutritional value and biological function of cereal. Our previous studies have confirmed that Lactobacillus plantarum fermented barley extract (LFBE) can alleviate obesity caused by high-fat diet (HFD) in rats, while the precise mechanism remains unclear. Herein, we explored the effect of LFBE on the adipose tissue in obese rats and its mechanism via transcriptomics technology. Results showed that administration of LFBE in obese rats for 8 weeks significantly alleviated weight gain, reduced fasting blood glucose, and inhibited lipid accumulation. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) observation of adipose tissue found that LFBE held the ability to maintain mitochondria integrity and functionality. Transcriptomics analysis revealed that LFBE increased the expressions of mitochondrial β-oxidized-related genes, while inhibiting the expressions of fatty acid synthesis-related genes. Furthermore, KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment analysis and western blotting studies confirmed that LFBE mainly enhanced the energy consumption of adipocytes through the phosphorylation of AMP-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) and the mitochondrial proliferation pathway regulated by peroxisome proliferative activated receptor, gamma, coactivator 1 alpha (PGC1α). Taken together, these findings indicated that LFBE could ameliorate HFD-induced obesity by activating AMPK/PGC1α axis regulated signaling pathways.
Physicochemical properties of three types of barley flour, whole barley flour (BF), electromagnetic stir‐frying whole barley flour, and extruded whole barley powder (EBF), and their potential application in emulsion type sausage were evaluated in this study. The water solubility index, water absorption index, and pasting properties of barley flour treated by different processing technologies were significantly different. The EBF has the highest water solubility index (12.67%) and water absorption index (503.20%), and with the minimum peak viscosity (2593.67 cp) and pasting temperature (50.20°C). The water‐holding capacity and cooking loss of emulsified sausage improved significantly after adding the barley flour processed by different methods, especially the 9%BF substitution, the pressure water loss rate and cooking loss rate were reduced to 5.32% and 14.52%, respectively. The emulsified sausage added with BF indicated better color quality and texture properties comparable with the control. Scanning electron microscopy also showed that the addition of three kinds of barley flour in sausage formation led to a difference in the microstructure of the sausages. This study suggested that barley flour improved the physicochemical and textural properties of the emulsified sausage. Three types of barley flour were prepared. The emulsion‐type sausages added with barley flour processed by different methods had different water‐holding capacity, cooking loss, texture profile analysis, color, and microstructure.
β-glucan is an important functional active component with relatively high content in barley. It is reported to possess various biological activities, including anti-oxidative stress, but its mechanism of action remains obscure. In the current study, C. elegans was used as an in vivo animal model to explore its anti-oxidative stress mechanism. We found that both RBG (raw barley β-glucan) and FBG (fermented barley β-glucan) could significantly reduce the ROS level in C. elegans under oxidative emergency conditions. In addition, both FBG and RBG had positive effects on SOD and CAT enzyme activity, and FBG treatment obviously reduced the MDA content in nematodes under oxidative stress. Moreover, FBG and RBG pretreatment could extend the median lifespan of C. elegans under oxidative stress. The CB1370 and CF1038 mutants further confirmed that daf-2 and daf-16 were necessary for FBG or RBG to participate in anti-oxidative stress, and the RT-PCR results also evidenced that β-glucans resist oxidative stress in C. elegans partially through the daf-2/daf-16 pathway. In summary, barley β-glucan has high potential to defense oxidative stress as a natural polysaccharide.
Fermented barley (FB) flour by Lactobacillus plantarum is richer in dietary fiber, polyphenols, gamma‐aminobutyric acid, and other biologically active ingredients. This study aimed to determine the impacts of fermented barley ‐ wheat flour compound noodle (FBWN) on glucose and fat metabolism in subjects with metabolic syndrome. This was a single‐blinded and parallel 10‐week clinical trial study. Subjects were randomly assigned into the trial group (FBWN) and whole wheat noodles group (WWN), and were measured on the beginning of week 3 and the ending of week 10. The glucose level at 30 and 60 min was significantly decreased after FBWN intervention. Levels of fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, and TG were all declined after FBWN intervention compared to before in the trial group. Moreover, the fat mass, fat rate, and visceral fat were decreased by 6.48, 7.19, 6.3 kg after FBWN intervention, respectively, while muscle mass and basal metabolic rate rose 7.44 kg and 252.60 kcal.
Practical applications
Many studies have illustrated that the extraction of fermented barley held the activities of anti‐obesity, antitumor, and so on. Moreover, this present study evaluated the effects of fermented barley by Lactobacillus plantarum on patients with metabolic syndrome. Results indicated that FB benefits the subjects on improving plasma glycolipids and insulin sensitivity, decreasing visceral fat level, and increasing satiety. The findings showed that the products of FB may be beneficial to dietary manipulations, thus, reducing the burden of patients.
Recently, the flavor wheels of many beverages like coffee and tea have been developed to express their characteristic taste and flavor. However, barley tea has not yet been characterized. In this study, we aimed to identify the flavor and taste characteristics of barley tea by analytical sensory evaluation and gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) analysis. We developed a barley tea flavor wheel and conducted detailed sensory analysis. We classified 20 types of barley tea in total, prepared considering the difference in shape and extraction method from 11 commercially available barley teas into five clusters, according to their characteristic flavors and taste by cluster analysis. The five clusters had flavor differences. For example, some of them had a sweet flavor like that of cotton candy or biscuits, while others were bitter like coffee or had a burnt flavor. We also compared the aromas of two commercially available barley teas (A, B) using GC-O analysis. A had a strong and sweet aroma, but B had a rancid food-like odor. These results were suggested to correspond to those of the sensory analysis.
The objective of this study was to understand the changes of nutrition constituents in extracts of four varieties of barley fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum dy‐1 (LFBEs) and to uncover the potential apoptosis‐related mechanism induced by LFBE to inhibit the proliferation of HT‐29 cells. The contents of total polysaccharide, polyphenol, and protein in the four LFBEs significantly changed as the fermentation time went by and exerted different inhibitory effects on the proliferation of HT‐29 cells. Results indicated that LFBE (YangSi No.3) inhibited proliferation of HT‐29 cells in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manners. The scanning electron micrograph illustrated that LFBE caused representative apoptotic trait and flow cytometric analysis suggested that LFBE brought about apoptosis by ceasing cell cycle at S phase. Western‐blotting results indicated that LFBE promoted apoptosis was relevant to the regulation of apoptosis‐related proteins, such as B‐cell lymphoma‐2 (Bcl‐2), Bcl‐2‐associated X protein (Bax), and the release of Cytochrome‐C from mitochondria.
Practical applications
Abundant studies have reported that extracts of fermented barley held the activities of anti‐obesity, antitumor, and so on. However, little information about the comparison in the chemical profile and antiproliferation property among different barley varieties (namely, YangSi barley No.1, YangSi barley No.3, DaZhong 88‐91, XiYin No.2) was observed. Results indicated that LFBE (YangSi No.3 barley) exhibited the best inhibitory property by inducing the apoptosis of HT‐29 cells. These findings may be beneficial to select a higher nutritional value barley and optimize the fermentation conditions to maximize the bioactive concentration expected in foods for the human.
In this work, the effect of microwave (MW), ε‐poly‐L‐lysine (ε‐PL), calcium propionate (CP), and their combinations on the shelf life and quality characteristics of highland barley fresh noodle (HBFN) was studied. Firstly, the mixed flour was treated by MW (800 W) for different time. Subsequently, HBFN was prepared by mixing flour and sterilized water with addition of 0.04% ε‐PL combined with different concentrations of CP (0.025%, 0.020%, 0.015%) and stored at 25 ± 1°C. Changes of total plate count (TPC), moisture content, water state, textural properties, color, and pH in HBFN were monitored during storage. The results indicated that microwave treatment (40 s) provided 30% reduction of initial TPC of the flour without decline of noodle quality. Shelf life of HBFN treated with MW + ε‐PL (0.04%) + CP (0.02%/0.025%) reached 80 and 88 hr, respectively, and had good edible qualities during storage. MW treatment (800 W) for 40 s reduced the initial TPC of the mixed flour by 30%. Shelf life of HBFN treated with MW + ε‐PL + CP (0.020%/0.025%) reached 80 and 88 hr. The weakly bound water and free water increased, while strongly bound water decreased. The treated HBFN kept a good edible quality during storage. “Hurdle effect” is a practical and economical approach to prolong shelf life of HBFN.
Prevalence of obesity has received global attention in recent years, and lipid consumption has been considered as one of the direct reasons for obesity and related diseases. However, increasing evidences have indicated that edible vegetable oils could exert non-negligible physiological benefits in daily diet, including suppression of appetite, blood lipid lowering, prevention of adipocyte synthesis, and reduction of inflammatory response. Bioactive phytochemicals in lipids and oils, such as tocopherol, phenolic compound, and phytosterol, play an important role in these effects in vitro and in vivo studies. For these reasons, the present review focusses on minor bioactive components in oil and their anti-obesity effects, aiming to provide a systematic information on the relationships between these minor components and obesity, and related diseases.
Practical application:
Until now, only few reports have regarded the impact of in vitro digestion in components of whole grain with complex food matrix. Moreover, our findings shed light on the complex interactions of whole cereals with gut microbiota and the possible impact on host health.
Excess free fatty acid accumulation from abnormal lipid metabolism results in the insulin resistance in peripheral cells, subsequently causing hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia and/or hyperlipidemia in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. Herein, we investigated the effect of phenolic acids on glucose uptake in an insulin-resistant cell-culture model and on hepatic insulin resistance and inflammation in rats fed a high-fat diet (HFD). The results show that vanillic acid (VA) demonstrated the highest glucose uptake ability among all tested phenolic acids in insulin-resistant FL83B mouse hepatocytes. Furthermore, rats fed HFD for 16 weeks were orally administered with VA daily (30 mg/kg body weight) at weeks 13-16. The results show that levels of serum insulin, glucose, triglyceride, and free fatty acid were significantly decreased in VA-treated HFD rats (p < 0.05), indicating the protective effects of VA against hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in HFD rats. Moreover, VA significantly reduced values of area under the curve for glucose (AUCglucose) in oral glucose tolerance test and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) index, suggesting the improving effect on glucose tolerance and insulin resistance in HFD rats. The Western blot analysis revealed that VA significantly up-regulated expression of hepatic insulin-signaling and lipid metabolism-related protein, including insulin receptor, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase, glucose transporter 2, and phosphorylated acetyl CoA carboxylase in HFD rats. VA also significantly down-regulated hepatic inflammation-related proteins, including cyclooxygenase-2 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expressions in HFD rats. These results indicate that VA might ameliorate insulin resistance via improving hepatic insulin signaling and alleviating inflammation pathways in HFD rats. These findings also suggest the potential of VA in preventing the progression of DM.
World epidemic obesity is a major contributing factor to metabolic diseases including insulin resistance and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, aqueous and ethanolic extracts of hulled barley with roasting temperatures of up to 250 °C were investigated for their anti-adipogenic effects in vitro and in vivo. An aqueous extract of hulled barley roasted at 210 °C (AHB210) effectively inhibited adipocyte differentiation. Intraperitoneal injections of 15 or 50 mg/kg AHB210 dose dependently prevented body weight gain, fat mass increase, and dysregulated lipid profiles in high fat diet-induced obese male mice. In addition, oral administration of AHB210 to ovariectomized rats also prevented body weight gain. A high performance liquid chromatographic analysis identified coumaric acid and ferulic acid as primary anti-obesity mediators. The presence of beta glucan in AHB210 was less likely to be responsible for the lipid accumulating actions. Taken together, AHB210 may be useful to prevent obesity and its related metabolic diseases.
Young barley leaf is consumed as a popular green-colored drink, which is named “Aojiru” in Japan. In the present study, we examined effects of young barley leaf powder (BL) on gastrointestinal transit time (GTT) and fecal moisture and weight in comparison with wheat bran (WB) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. In addition, an attempt was made to identify BL components responsible for these effects by using various fractions of BL. Additionally, we examined the water-holding capacity and setting volume of BL
in vitro
. We also examined the granular structures of BL with a scanning electron microscope. As a result, BL supplementation in the diet increased the fecal weight and shortened GTT. Our results demonstrate that the active component responsible for the effect on increasing the fecal volume in BL is the water-insoluble dietary fiber fraction and that this effect is thought to be caused by stimulation of the gut tract by the pH lowering. Furthermore, the high laxative action of BL was thought to be ascribable to the high water-holding capacity due to the complicated structures of BL.
The objective of this study was to assess the effects of whole grain Tibetan hull-less barley on metabolic related syndrome induced by high-fat-sucrose diets in rats. The diets were designed to reflect the dietary patterns of Chinese individuals (>30% energy fat) with refined wheat flour (HFS-W) or Tibetan hull-less barley (HFS-THB) as the main carbohydrate sources. Rats fed HFS-W had increased body weight, abdominal fat deposition, liver weight, liver fat deposition, triglyceride (TG), fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum fasting insulin (FINS), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) scores, and decreased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels compared to rats fed a basal diet (BD). However, rats fed HFS-THB had reduced body weight gain, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. These findings indicate that whole Tibetan hull-less barley is a functional food that can reduce the prevalence of metabolic related syndrome induced by high-fat-sucrose diets.
More than half of the world populations are affected by micronutrient malnutrition and one third of world’s population suffers from anemia and zinc deficiency, particularly in developing countries. Iron and zinc deficiencies are the major health problems worldwide. Phytic acid is the major storage form of phosphorous in cereals, legumes, oil seeds and nuts. Phytic acid is known as a food inhibitor which chelates micronutrient and prevents it to be bioavailabe for monogastric animals, including humans, because they lack enzyme phytase in their digestive tract. Several methods have been developed to reduce the phytic acid content in food and improve the nutritional value of cereal which becomes poor due to such antinutrient. These include genetic improvement as well as several pre-treatment methods such as fermentation, soaking, germination and enzymatic treatment of grains with phytase enzyme. Biofortification of staple crops using modern biotechnological techniques can potentially help in alleviating malnutrition in developing countries.
Tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) plays a pivotal role in cellular insulin resistance and can induce insulin resistance in mouse FL83B hepatocytes. Caffeic acid and cinnamic acid were found to improve glucose uptake in TNF-α-treated insulin-resistant mouse FL83B hepatocytes. The mechanism of glucose metabolism by caffeic acid and cinnamic acid was further investigated. The result from Western blot analysis revealed that caffeic acid and cinnamic acid increased expression of glycogen synthase, whereas the expression of glycogen synthase kinase and phosphorylation of glycogen synthase at Ser641 in insulin-resistant mouse hepatocytes was decreased. Caffeic acid and cinnamic acid suppressed the expression of hepatic nuclear factor-4 in TNF-α-treated mouse FL83B hepatocytes. The activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase was also inhibited. Thus, caffeic acid and cinnamic acid ameliorated glucose metabolism by promoting glycogenesis and inhibiting gluconeogenesis in TNF-α-treated insulin-resistant mouse hepatocytes.
In recent years, obesity has become a global public health issue. It is closely associated with the occurrence of several chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Some edible and medicinal plants show anti-obesity activity, such as fruits, vegetables, spices, legumes, edible flowers, mushrooms, and medicinal plants. Numerous studies have indicated that these plants are potential candidates for the prevention and management of obesity. The major anti-obesity mechanisms of plants include suppressing appetite, reducing the absorption of lipids and carbohydrates, inhibiting adipogenesis and lipogenesis, regulating lipid metabolism, increasing energy expenditure, regulating gut microbiota, and improving obesity-related inflammation. In this review, the anti-obesity activity of edible and medicinal plants was summarized based on epidemiological, experimental, and clinical studies, with related mechanisms discussed, which provided the basis for the research and development of slimming products. Further studies should focus on the exploration of safer plants with anti-obesity activity and the identification of specific anti-obesity mechanisms.
vitexin, an apigenin-8-C-glucoside, is widely present in numerous edible and medicinal plants. vitexin possesses a variety of bioactive properties, including antioxidation, anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, neuron-protection, and cardio-protection. Other beneficial health effects, such as fat reduction, glucose metabolism, and hepatoprotection, have also been reported in recent studies. This review briefly discusses the absorption and metabolism of vitexin, as well as its influence on gut microbiota. Recent advances in understanding the pharmacological and biological effects of vitexin are then reviewed. Improved knowledge of the absorption, metabolism, bioactivity, and molecular targets of vitexin is crucial for the better utilization of this emerging nutraceutical as a chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent.
Whole barley has gained the renewed interest for consumption as a human food source due to its protection effects. However, there are still controversies to explain the mechanisms of whole barleys for anti-obesity. The gut microbiota has recently become a new focus of research at the intersection of whole barley and obesity-related disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of gut microbiota to the anti-obesity effects of whole barley. Germ-free (GF) C57BL/6J mice were gastric inoculated with fresh human fecal to obtain human flora-associated (HFA) mice before dietary intervention. GF and HFA mice were both given high fat diet containing (46%) whole barleyor refined barley for 9 weeks. The certain features of obesity and dyslipidemia were tested and compared among GF and HFA mice and the cecal microbiota was analyzed using next-generation sequencing of microbial 16S rRNA. Whole barley has obesity prevention and hypocholesterolemic effects both in high fat diet-fed GF and HFA mice. The mechanism may include inhibit cholesterol synthesis by down-regulation of SREBP-1c and HMG-CoA expression and decrease cholesterol accumulation by up-regulation of CYP7A1 which are independent of gut microbiota. Furthermore, whole barley intake enriched a variety of bacterial genus that negatively correlated with obesity, including Bacteroides, Parabacteroides and Clostridium Cluster XIVa, suggesting that whole barley had effects to counteract gut dysbiosis of obese mice. In conclusions, whole barley help prevent obesity and dyslipidemia can be mediated by mechanisms with or without the involvement of gut microbiota.
Lactobacillus plantarum dy-1 isolated from pickles was used for barley fermentation to obtain Lactobacillus-fermented barley extracted protein (LFBE-P), and the effect of LFBE-P on the browning of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes was investigated. Using salting out, gel filtration and ultrafiltration, the protein were purified and condensed. Glucose consumption and relative RNA expression of 3T3-L1 adipocytes were detected to support the browning effect of appropriate concentration of LFBE-P. Results showed that, compared with unfermented barley extracted protein(RBE-P), LFBE-P increased the glucose consumption and expression of the brown adipose tissue-specific genes including. Furthermore, LFBE-P was divided into different parts according to the molecular weight. It was found that LFBE-Ps with molecular weights between 3 ku and 20 ku were the key components inducing 3T3-L1 browning, which could improve the relative expression of uncoupling protein 1, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator 1α and PR domain-containing 16. These genes were essential for cells to generate heat and reduce lipid. In conclusion, LFBE-P significantly increased the relative expression of brown-specific genes and glucose consumption of 3T3-L1 adipocytes, inducing 3T3-L1 adipocytes into beige adipocytes. © 2018, Editorial Board of Modern Food Science and Technology. All right reserved.
A water-soluble polysaccharide (BP-1) was extracted and purified from highland barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) and its average molecular weight was about 6.7×104 Da. In this study, the immunomodu-latory activity of BP-1 on the immunosuppressive BALB/c mice model and its molecular mechanism were elucidated. It was found that the weight indexes of spleens and thymus were significantly in-creased by BP-1 (80 mg· kg-1 and 160 mg· kg-1) treatment in immunosuppressive mice model. The results showed that BP-1 (80 mg· kg-1 and 160 mg· kg-1) could significantly increase the number of bone marrow cells (BMC) and peripheral blood white blood cells (WBC) in immunosuppressive mice model. In addition, the result further confirmed that BP-1 could increase the serum levels of IL-2, TNF-α and IFN-γ, so as to improve the immune function of immunosuppressive mice. The results showed that BP-1 (80 mg· kg-1 and 160 mg· kg-1) could promote the proliferation of spleen cells, the natural killer (NK) cells activity in vivo. The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and ELISA results revealed that BP-1 (80 mg· kg-1 and 160 mg· kg-1) could enhance the production of IL-2, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IgG and IgM in the spleen of immunosuppressive mice. The HE (hematoxylin and eosin) stained histopathological images showed that BP-1 (80 mg· kg-1 and 160 mg· kg-1) could repair the damage inducing by CTX in the spleen cells of immunosuppressive mice. The result of macrophages showed that BP-1 (80 mg· kg-1 and 160 mg· kg-1) could promote the pro-liferation and phagocytosis activity of macrophages in immunosuppressive mice. Furthermore, BP-1 could activate macrophages by the TLR-4- TRAF6- TAK1- nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) p65 pathway in vivo. These results suggested that BP-1 has a remarkable immunomodulatory activity on the immu-nosuppressive mice model.
Objective:
To investigate the effect of fermented barley extracts with Lactobacillus plantarum dy-1 (LFBE) for modulating glucose consumption in HepG2 cells via miR-212 regulation.
Methods:
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells were treated with palmitate. After 12 h, palmitate-induced HepG2 cells were treated with LFBE and its main components. Changes in glucose consumption, proinflammatory cytokine secretion, and miRNA-212 expression in HepG2 cells was observed.
Results:
Treatment with LFBE rich in vanillic acid (VA) increased glucose consumption and reduced proinflammatory cytokine secretion in HepG2 cells. LFBE and VA normalized the upregulation of miR-212, which led to the upregulation of dual-specificity phosphatase-9 (DUSP9), a direct target of miR-212, at both protein and mRNA levels. Downregulation of miR-212 markedly increased glucose consumption and reduced proinflammatory cytokine secretion by enhancing DUSP9 expression.
Conclusion:
The results showed the benefit of LFBE and miR-212 downregulation in modulating glucose consumption and reducing proinflammatory cytokine secretion by targeting DUSP9. VA in LFBE was a strong regulator of palmitate-induced abnormal glucose consumption in HepG2 cells and can be a primary mediator.
We have previously reported an aqueous extract of fermented barley with Lactobacillus plantarum dy-1 (LFBE) has more efficient anti-obesity effect compared with that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. To further explore associated effects of LFBE on body weight and body fat distribution, and lipid profiles related metabolic outcomes, serum metabolites were analysed using LC-MS-MS and partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Obese and lean groups were clearly discriminated from each other on PLS-DA score plot and major metabolites contributing to the discrimination were assigned as lipid metabolites (fatty acids), lipid metabolism intermediates (choline, betaine, carnitine and butyryl-carnitine), amino acids and citric acid. A high-fat diet increased lipid metabolites and decreased lipid metabolism intermediates, indicating that abnormal lipid metabolism induced by a high-fat diet resulted in fat accumulation via decreased β-oxidation. But LFBE can inhibit fat accumulation by reducing lipid metabolites and increasing lipid metabolism intermediates. Furthermore, the level changes of these metabolites can be used to assess the risk of obesity and the therapeutic effect of obesity management.
Based on many cell culture, animal and human studies, it is well known that the most challenge issue for developing polyphenolics as chemoprevention or anti-diabtetic agents is the low oral bioavailability, which may be the major reason relating to its ambiguous therapeutic effects and large inter-individual variations in clinical trials. This review intends to highlight the unscientific evaluation on the basis of the published data regarding in vitro bioactivity of polyphenols, which may sometimes mislead the researchers and to conclude that: first, bio-accessibilities values obtained in the studies for polyphenols should be highly reconsidered in accordance with the abundant newly identified circulating and excreted metabolites, with a particular attention to colonic metabolic products which are obviously contributing much more than expected to their absorptions; second, it is phenolic metabolites, which are formed in the small intestine and hepatic cells,low molecular weight catabolic products of the colonic microflora to travel around the human body in the circulatory system or reach body tissues to elicit bioactive effects. It is concluded that better performed in vivo intervention and in vitro mechanistic studies are needed to fully understand how these molecules interact with human physiological and pathological processes.
Roasted barley extract (RBE, “Mugicha”) is a traditional Japanese beverage reported to improve blood viscosity and affect food functionality. RBE is suggested to contain 2,5-diketopiperazines, which are the functional component with neuroprotective and immunostimulatory effects that are produced in food through roasting. In this study, we investigated the effects of RBE on blood circulation, both clinically and in rats. At first, we confirmed five 2,5-diketopiperazine derivatives in RBE by LC-MS analysis. Secondary, we revealed that RBE affects blood flow in the rat tail, and compared the efficacy on rat tail blood flow among five 2,5-diketopiperazine in RBE. Especially, cyclo (D-Phe-L-Pro) was the most effective in increasing blood flow in the rat tail. We also researched the mechanism of cyclo (D-Phe-L-Pro) with rat aorta study. As results, we confirmed that cyclo (D-Phe-L-Pro) has effect on vasodilatation through the release of nitric oxide in the vascular endothelium. Finally, we also confirmed that RBE affects cutaneous blood flow and increases skin temperature in humans.
The objective of this study was to determine the phytochemical profiles and antioxidant activities of three highland barley varieties. The free, bound, and total phenolic content of highland barley, respectively ranged from 44.52 to 178.37 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g dry weight (D. W.), 121.69–302.55 mg GAE/100 g D. W., and 166.21–480.92 mg GAE/100 g D. W. Besides, the free, bound, and total flavonoid content, respectively, ranged from 15.71 to 35.18 mg rutin equivalents (RE)/100 g D. W., 39.37–86.93 mg RE/100 g D. W., and 59.13–102.64 mg RE/100 g D. W. The 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging abilities, oxygen radical absorbance capacities, ferric reducing antioxidant power values, and cellular antioxidant activities of the bound extractions of highland barley were higher than those of the free extractions. However, the free polyphenol extracts had stronger inhibitory effects on HepG2 cell proliferation than the bound extracts.
Practical applications
Highland barley is a principal food crop that is widely cultivated in the west and southwest regions of China. Highland barley is usually rich in phenolic compounds, however, the phenolic compounds content and antioxidant activities of highland barley were underestimated because the bound phytochemical fraction was not included in the analysis. In this study, three highland barleys from different region of China were used to analysis the free and bound total phenolics and total flavonoids, as well as the antioxidant activities.
Complete characterizations of free and bonded phenolic compounds, presented in four cultivars of barley from two regions of Czech Republic, were achieved, using optimized solvent extraction and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. The optimization of extraction of free polyphenols was performed using Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology. The intra-day and extra-day precision of developed method were below 6% and 12%, respectively. The isolation of polyphenols bonded to the cell wall structure was carried out by a hydrolysis process. In all cultivars, p-hydroxybenzoic, p-coumaric and ferulic acids were the most abundant compounds. Their average amounts in barley samples were 17.6, 15.2 and 54.4% (m/m), respectively. The highest amount of these compounds was found in the bonded form, proving the importance of this procedure for the correct characterization of total polyphenols in food matrices.
Prevalence of obesity worldwide has reached pandemic proportions. Despite the increasing evidence in the implication of phenolic compounds in obesity management, the real effect is not completely understood. The available in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the implication of phenolic compounds in: lowering food intake, decreasing lipogenesis, increasing lipolysis, stimulating fatty acids β-oxidation, inhibiting adipocyte differentiation and growth, attenuating inflammatory responses and suppress oxidative stress. This review encompasses the most recent evidence in the anti-obesity effect of phenolic compounds from plants to different nutraceuticals and functional foods based on the in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies. For that, this review has been focused on popular plant-based products highly consumed today such as cocoa, cinnamon, and olive oil, beverages such as red wine, tea (green, white and black tea) and Hibiscus sabdariffa L. tea, among others.
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is mainly used as animal feed and in malting. In recent years, there has been growing interest in using barley for food production. Starch is the major component of the kernel and may amount up to over 70% of the dry weight. The quality of barley products is much determined by its starch properties such as gelatinization and retrogradation. Starch is also a by-product of the barley fractionation industry and can be utilized for value-added products. This review summarizes the recent developments in our understanding of the isolation, chemical composition, granular structure, chemical structure of starch components, physicochemical properties, and various modifications of barley starch. The structure–function relationships of starch are discussed. This review provides a basis for better utilizing barley starch, as well as the further development of barley as a sustainable crop.
This study investigated the hypolipidemic effect of whole grain Qingke (WGQ) and its influence on intestinal microbiota. Changes in the serum lipid, intestinal environment, and microbiota of Sprague-Dawley rats fed high-fat diets supplemented with different doses of WGQ were determined. Results showed that high doses of WGQ significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the Lee's index, serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels whereas increased the body weight of the rats. Cecal weight and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration increased with increasing WGQ dose. An Illumina-based sequencing approach showed that the relative abundance of putative SCFA-producing bacteria Prevotella and Anaerovibrio increased in the rats fed the WGQ diet. Principal component analysis revealed a significant difference in intestinal microbiota composition after the administration of the WGQ diet. These findings provide insights into the contribution of the intestinal microbiota to the hypolipidemic effect of WGQ.
Fermented cereals have significant potential for improving the nutritional quality and health effects of foods and ingredients. In the present study, aqueous extracts of fermented barley with either Lactobacillus plantarum dy-1 or Saccharomyces cerevisiae were investigated for their anti-adipogenic effects in vitro and in vivo. Oral administration of an aqueous extract of fermented barley with Lactobacillus plantarum dy-1 (LFBE) significantly prevented body weight gain and fat mass increase, and improved lipid profiles and glucose tolerance in high fat diet-induced obese male rats. In contrast, an aqueous extract of fermented barley with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SFBE) had no significant anti-obesity effects. In addition, LFBE effectively inhibited adipocyte differentiation in a dose-dependent manner, but only a high dose of SFBE had similar effects. Phenolic acids (mainly vanillic acid and ferulic acid) and β-glucan in LFBE were responsible for the lipid accumulating actions and may be considered as primary anti-obesity mediators. The results showed that LFBE has more significant anti-obesity effects than SFBE. LFBE has the potential to prevent obesity and its related metabolic diseases.
The objective of this study was determination and comparison of three types of lipophilic phytochemicals, fatty acids, phytosterols and tocols, in five wholegrain Irish barley varieties. Fatty acids and sterols were derivatised and analysed by gas chromatography, while tocols were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography. The content of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids in the varieties ranged between 442–2615 and 1200–1730 mg/100 g dw, respectively, indicating abundance of unsaturated fatty acids in barley. Linoleic acid was the most abundant unsaturated fatty acid. Phytosterols in the barley varieties ranged between 66 and 82 mg/100 g dw with β‐sitosterol being the most abundant sterol, while tocols ranged between 46 and 58 µg/g dw with α‐tocotrienol being the most abundant tocol homologue. Principle component analysis (PCA) revealed interesting correlations between these phytochemicals. An evident relationship between the unsaturated fatty acids and some tocol homologues was observed. Sterols like β‐sitosterol and β‐sitostanol were negatively correlated with each other. PCA also indicated possible genotypic relationships between the barley varieties.
Practical applications: Barley lipids serve as a considerable source of major fatty acids, phytosterols and tocols. By means of fractionation such as milling, enriched sources of these phytochemicals for use as ingredients in functional foods might be produced. Concurrent analysis of phytochemicals undertaken in this study, along with determination of correlations between them provides useful information to geneticists and plant breeders, in choosing specific varieties/genotypes and producing crossbreeds with improved levels of certain phytochemicals.
Analysis of fatty acids, sterols and tocols in barley using chromatographic techniques, and determination of correlations between them by principal component analysis (PCA).
Physical properties of resistant starch (RS) were examined in a range of barley genotypes to determine the contribution of starch and seed physical characteristics to the RS component. Thirty-three barley genotypes were studied, which varied significantly in their RS, amylose, and starch contents and grain yield. From 33 genotypes, 13 exhibiting high RS were selected for detailed physicochemical analysis of starch. In high-RS varieties, granule size and number were unimodal, compared with normal starches from a reference genotype, which showed a bimodal distribution. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that a higher content of granules <15 μm was positively correlated with RS and amylose content, whereas the proportion of granules 15-45 μm was negatively correlated with the RS and amylose contents. Physical fractionation of starches by centrifugation into different population sizes demonstrated that size alone is not an accurate indicator of the population of A-type and B-type granules within a given genotype. PCA also showed that large 15-45 μm granules were positively correlated with seed thickness and that thousand grain weight was positively correlated with seed width. High-RS and high-amylose genotypes showed variation in overall yield and starch content, with some genotypes showing yield comparable to the reference genotype. Analysis of amylopectin chain length distribution showed that high amylose or RS content was not associated with a higher proportion of amylopectin long chains when compared with either waxy or reference (normal) barley genotypes. This study highlights useful markers for screening barley genotypes with favorable starch characteristics.
The prevalence of obesity has increased dramatically over the past 50 years. For the first time in centuries, today's generation of children have shorter life expectancies than their parents because of the negative health consequences associated with lifestyles that lead to obesity. At the most basic level, obesity results from an imbalance between calories consumed and calories expended. However, explanations for why individuals eat too much or exercise too little are more complex and are attributable to the interplay between genetic and environmental factors. A great deal of research has focused on the treatment of obesity, but few efforts have lead to long-term, sustainable weight loss for obese individuals. Because obese children tend to become obese adults, treatment of childhood obesity may be the most promising and cost-effective way to ameliorate adult obesity and its associated health risks.
Background:
Cereal fermentations showed significant potential in improvement and design of the nutritional quality and health effects of foods and ingredients. In the present study, the effect of supplementary Lactobacillus plantarum dy-1 fermented barley (LFB) on obesity in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats was investigated.
Results:
The LFB treatment showed a lower rate of increase of body weight and percentage of body fat and a reversal of HFD-induced glucose intolerance, with ameliorated hyperinsulinemia, decreased levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol, and inhibited concentration of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. Moreover, the LFB treatment also showed the strongest inhibition of NF-kB activation and exhibited the greatest effects in blocking the degradation of the inhibitor of NF-kB and inhibiting p38 and JNK1 phosphorylation compared with HFD and raw barley treatment.
Conclusions:
It was clear that the Lactobacillus plantarum dy-1 fermentation significantly improves the anti-obesity properties of barley. The results establish the foundation for ameliorating diet-induced obesity of product with LFB as nutritional supplements.
The effect of dietary administered young barley containing a mixture of phytochemicals to female rats for the prevention of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea-induced mammary carcinogenesis was evaluated. After carcinogen administration (14 wk), mammary tumors were removed and prepared for histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis. Moreover, in vitro evaluation of possible mechanisms in MCF-7 breast cancer cell line was performed. Barley (0.3%) demonstrated mild antitumor effect in mammary carcinogenesis, yet 3% barley did not further improve this effect. Immunohistochemical analysis of rat tumor cells in treated groups showed significant increase in caspase-3 expression and significant reduction in Ki67 expression. In addition, 3% barley significantly decreased dityrosine levels versus control. Barley in higher dose significantly decreased serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in rats. In vitro studies showed that barley significantly decreased survival of MCF-7 cells in 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay and significantly decreased 5-bromo-20-deoxyuridine incorporation versus control. Barley prevented cell cycle progression and extended incubation with barley showed significant increase in the percentage of annexin V/propidium iodide-positive MCF-7 cells. Our results propose an antitumor effect for the mixture of phytochemicals present in young barley in a breast cancer model.
Phytases are enzymes capable of sequentially dephosphorylating phytic acid to products of lower chelating capacity and higher solubility, abolishing its inhibitory effect on intestinal mineral absorption. Genetic constructions were made for expressing two phytases from bifidobacteria in Lactobacillus casei under the control of a nisin-inducible promoter. L. casei was able of producing, exporting and anchoring to the cell wall the phytase of Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum. The phytase from Bifidobacterium longum spp. infantis was also produced, although at low levels. L. casei expressing any of these phytases completely degraded phytic acid (2mM) to lower myo-inositol phosphates when grown in MRS medium. Owing to the general absence of phytase activity in lactobacilli and to the high phytate content of whole grains, the constructed L. casei strains were applied as starter in a bread making process using whole-grain flour. L. casei developed in sourdoughs by fermenting the existing carbohydrates giving place to an acidification. In this food model system the contribution of L. casei strains expressing phytases to phytate hydrolysis was low, and the phytate degradation was mainly produced by activation of the cereal endogenous phytase as a consequence of the drop in pH. This work shows the capacity of lactobacilli to be modified in order to produce enzymes with relevance in food technology processes. The ability of these strains in reducing the phytate content in fermented food products must be evaluated in further models.
In the current study barley protein hydrolysate was cationized using polyethyleneimine and the physicochemical and antimicrobial properties of the modified peptides were investigated. Degree of substitution and zeta potential analysis verified the high proportion of positively charged components. Antimicrobial assay showed that cationized peptides effectively inhibited non-beneficial bacterial growth (Escherichia coli JM109 and Micrococcus luteus (ATCC 4698)) at low concentration (98–195 μg/mL), while higher concentration levels (390–1560 μg/mL) were required to inhibit the growth of beneficial lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus reuteri (ATCC 23272) and Lactococcus lactis MG 1363). Structural studies revealed the unordered open structures as the major structural elements of cationized peptides which resulted in conformational flexibility. Highly exposed hydrophobic segments accompanied by the chain flexibility could positively contribute to adsorption and penetration of cationized peptides into bacterial membrane. These unique structural characteristics of barley proteins in combination with positively charged side chains confer potential antimicrobial activity to barley-derived peptides which can be applied to enhance the shelf life stability of food, feed and other products.
The influence of fermentation by two types of microorganisms (lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus rhamnosus, and yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae) on antioxidant activities and total phenolics of 4 cereals, namely buckwheat, wheat germ, barley and rye, was determined and compared with those of their unfermented counterparts. The total phenolic content (TPC), determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu method, increased upon fermentation. Antioxidant activities (AOA) were assessed using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging capacity, ferric ion-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and thiobarbituric acid (TBA) methods. The presence of those microorganisms was more or less important for enhanced levels of antioxidant activity. Thus fermentation offers a tool to further increase the bioactive potential of cereal products.
Abstract Phenolic compounds play an important role in health benefits because of their highly antioxidant capacity. In this review, total phenolic contents, phenolic acid profile and antioxidant capacity of the extracted from wheat, corn, rice, barley, sorghum, rye, oat and millet, which has been recently reported, are summarized. The review shows clearly that cereals contain a number of phytochemicals including phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, etc. The phytochemicals of cereals significantly exhibit antioxidant activity as measured by trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging, reducing power, oxygen radical absorbance capacity, inhibition of oxidation of human low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and DNA, Rancimat, inhibition of photochemilumenescence, and iron(II) chelation activity. Thus, the consumption of whole grains is considered to have significantly health benefits in prevention from chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer because of the contribution of phenolic compounds existed. In addition, the extracts from cereal brans are considered to be used as a source of natural antioxidants.
Cereal-based foods represent a very important source of biological as well as of cultural diversity, as testified by the wide range of derived fermented products. A trend that is increasingly attracting bakery industries as well as consumers is the use of non-conventional flours for the production of novel products, characterised by peculiar flavour and better nutritional value. Lactic acid bacteria microbiota of several non-wheat cereals and pseudo-cereals has been recently deeply investigated with the aim of studying the biodiversity and finding starter cultures for sourdough fermentation. Currently, the use of ancient or ethnic grains is mainly limited to traditional typical foods and the bread making process is not well standardised with consequent negative effects on the final properties. The challenge in fermenting such grains is represented by the necessity to combine good technology and sensory properties with nutritional/health benefits. The choice of the starter cultures has a critical impact on the final quality of cereal-based products, and strains that dominate and outcompete contaminants should be applied for specific sourdough fermentations. In this sense, screening and characterisation of the lactic acid bacteria microbiota is very useful in the improvement of a peculiar flour, from both a nutritional and technological point of view.
In the past decade, interest in barley as a human food source has increased. The increased interest in barley has coincided with an increase in the prevalence of obesity and increases in chronic diseases such as cancer. Studies have shown dietary fibre to have many health benefits. As barley is an excellent source of dietary fibre, and in particular the functional food ingredient beta-glucan, consumers have become more inclined to increase their utilisation of barley as a source of food. This review looks at the use of barley beta-glucan in foods and the potential scope for their increased use in breads in the future.
The influence of variation in carbohydrate (CHO) composition within the same type of cereal on intestinal fermentation patterns and microbial community composition in the pig is unknown. Ten hulless barleys (HLB), 6 hulled barleys (HB), 6 oats (O) and 6 oat groats (OG) differing in CHO composition were studied in vitro. They were hydrolyzed enzymatically, inoculated with pig feces and fermented for 72h. Multivariate analysis revealed that microbial profiles analyzed using TRFLP, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) and fermentation parameters were affected by CHO composition but differently according to the grain type (HLB, HB, O or OG). Members of Clostridium cluster XIVa were associated to higher amylose contents and butyrate production in HB cultivars and in HLB cultivars. Several clostridia phylotypes increased with β-glucan content in HLB and HB. Cellulolytic Ruminococcus-like bacteria tended to increase acetate concentration and were increased with cellulose content in HB, HLB and OG. Bacteroides-like bacteria were increased by amylopectin and starch content of barley cultivars. Cereal cultivars differing in CHO composition can alter the pig intestinal microbial ecophysiology to possibly improve gut health.
Chronic consumption of alcohol leads to liver disorders primarily as hepatosteatosis, and increase of oxidative stress. The abundance of these reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a result of ethanol (ethyl alcohol) oxidation by alcohol dehydrogenase and cytochrome p450 2E1 (CYP2E1). In order to address this problem with natural substance, the high polyphenol content of barley has been numerously cited to provide excellent antioxidative effect. In this study, we investigated the effect of fermented barley extract (FBE) in chronic ethanol fed female Wistar rats. We obtained significant decrease of plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities in the FBE supplemented group. Further examinations revealed that FBE induces substantial improvement in hepatic gene expressions of key anti-oxidative genes, reinforced by its increase of enzymatic activities and subsequent suppression of oxidative stress. Thus we have demonstrated a novel approach for the use of barley as supplements to attenuate chronic alcohol consumption.
This investigation determined the effects of fermented oat-based products containing both native and microbial β-glucans on plasma lipids and on fecal total bacterial count and Bifidobacterium ssp. The study was randomized, double blind with 3 parallel groups. Sixty-two free-living volunteers with moderately increased plasma cholesterol levels were recruited. In the final analysis, 56 subjects remained, as 6 subjects had left the study either due to lack of time (n = 2), unwillingness to continue the regimen (n = 2), or for other reasons (n = 2). During the first 3 weeks, all subjects received a fermented dairy-based product (control product, run-in period). On the following 5 weeks, 1 group continued with the control product, whereas the other 2 groups were given fermented oat-based products (intervention period, 3-3.5 g native β-glucans per day). One of the oat products (ropy) was cofermented with an exopolysaccharide-producing strain, Pediococcus damnosus 2.6. A significant (P = .022) reduction in total cholesterol by 6% was observed in volunteers who had eaten the fermented, ropy, oat-based product compared with the control group. No other significant changes in plasma lipids were found. A significant increase in total bacterial count (P = .001) and Bifidobacterium ssp (P = .012) was observed in fecal samples from volunteers in the group who had eaten the fermented, ropy, oat-based product. This study shows that a fermented, ropy, oat-based product, containing both native and microbial glucans, can reduce the blood cholesterol level and also stimulate the bifidobacteria flora in the gastrointestinal tract.