'Here is bread, which strengthens man's heart, and therefore called the staff of life' Introduction The number of plant species which nourish humanity is remarkably limited. Most of the 195,000 species of flowering plants produce edible parts which could be utilized by man; however less than 0.1% or fewer than 300 species are used for food. Approximately 17 plant species provide 90% of mankind's food supply, of which cereal grains supply far and away the greatest percentage (tables 1, 2). From table 1, it can be shown that the world's four major cereal grains (wheat, maize, rice and barley) contribute more tonnage Table 1. The world's top 30 food crops (estimated edible dry matter) Million metric tons 1 Wheat 468 2 Maize 429 3 Rice 330 4 Barley 160 5 Soybean 88 6 20 Cordain to humanity's food supply than the next 26 crops combined. Eight cereal grains: wheat, maize, rice, barley, sorghum, oats, rye, and millet provide 56% of the food energy and 50% of the protein consumed on earth [1]. Three cereals: wheat, maize and rice together comprise at least 75% of the world's grain production (table 1). It is clear that humanity has become dependent upon cereal grains for the majority of its food supply. As Mangelsdorf [2] has pointed out, 'cereal grains literally stand between mankind and starvation'; therefore, it is essential that we fully understand the nutritional implications of cereal grain consumption upon human health and well being. Modern man has become so dependent upon eating cereal grains (grass seeds) that it has prompted at least one author [3] to say that we have become 'canaries'. However, this has not always been the case. For the vast majority of mankind's presence on this planet, he rarely if ever consumed cereal grains [4]. With the exception of the last 10,000 years following the agricultural 'revolution', humans have existed as non-cereal-eating hunter-gatherers since the emergence of Homo erectus 1.7 million years ago. Although the first anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) appeared in Africa ?90,000 years ago, humans prior to the mesolithic period (~15,000 years ago) like other primates rarely if ever utilized cereal grains [4]. Post-pleistocene (~10,000 years ago) hunter-gatherers occasionally consumed cereal grains; however these foods were apparently not major dietary components for most of the year [5]. It is apparent that there is little or no evolutionary precedent in our species for grass seed consumption …

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Cereal grains: humanity's double-edged sword.

A method was established for fast and easy analysis of 5-n-alkylresorcinols in rye grains, considering effects of milling (intact grains versus flour), extraction solvent (ethyl acetate, methanol and acetone), extraction volume per gram of sample (20 and 40 ml) and extraction time (3, 6, 18 and 24h). For intact kernels, extraction of 1 g samples with ethyl acetate (40 ml, 24h) is recommended. The ease of extraction is consistent with the presence of alkylresorcinols in the outer layers of the kernel and their absence in the endosperm. The extracts were analysed (without further purification or derivatisation) by gas chromatography using methyl behenate (C22:0, fatty acid methyl ester) as internal standard. Alkylresorcinols were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and the major homologues were found to contain alkyl chains of C17:0, C19:0, C21:0, C23:0 and C25:0. The methodology was then applied to analyse the alkylresorcinol content in 15 rye cultivars grown at two locations in Sweden. Total alkylresorcinol contents varied within the range 549-1022 μg g -1 , and the average percentages of the different alkylresorcinols were: 17:0, 23%; 19:0, 32%; 21:0, 26%; 23:0, 11%; and 25:0, 8%. Une methode d'analyse rapide des 5-n-alkylresorcinols du grain de seigle est presentee. Elle est utilisee pour etudier les effet de la mouture, du solvant d'extraction, de la taille de l'echantillon et du temps d'extraction sur la composition. Pour les grains intacts, l'extraction a partir d'un echantillon d'un gramme avec de l'acetate d'ethyle est recommandee. L'extrait est analyse par chromatographie en phase gazeuse. Les chaines carbonees retrouvees majoritairement sont les C17:0, C19:0, C21:0, C23:0 et C25:0. L'analyse de 15 cultivars suedois donne une teneur en alkylresorcinol variant de 549 a 1022 μg/g.

Gas chromatographic analysis of alkylresorcinols in rye (Secale cereale L) grains

Gas chromatographic–mass spectrometric method for the determination of alkylresorcinols in human plasma

General: history and origins of fermented foods - economic growth and potential market of products and foods using fermentations. Theoretical: yeast fermentation lactic and other fermentations fermentation processes of starters interaction ofmicro-organisms in dough fermentations. Production of starters: bakers yeasts, commercial types commercial and retail starters in germany commercial starters in France commercial starters in Spain commercial starters in USA. Application of starters inbaking and food technology: starters in wheat breads and products starters in rye breads and products starters in miscellaneous grain and mixed grain breads and products starters for production of fermented foods nutritional effects of fermentations.

Handbook of Dough Fermentations

Identification of 5-(12-heptadecenyl)-resorcinol in rice root exudates

The occurrence of 5-n-alkylresorcinols (AR) in various plants is of great interest. ARs in cereal grains were shown to inhibit growth in several animal species. These compounds are present in the highest amount in rye, in lower amounts in wheat and triticale and in small quantities in other cereals. Milling of wheat, rye and triticale into bran, shorts and flour indicated that bran contains the highest, shorts intermediates and flour the lowest amount of ARs. The study of these compounds in human food an how they are affected by food processing is very limited. Their effects in human nutrition are being tested. ARs were shown to cause red blood cell haemolysis, permeability changes of erythrocytes and liposomes, DNA stand scission. Structurally ARs are considered to be phenolic lipids an related to other phenolic lipids isolated from Anacardiaceae which process well known skin irritating and sensitizing activities. They are also similar in structure to flavonoids which possess antioxidant or free radical scavenging properties

P. Hengtrakul

Papers

Alkylresorcinols in cereal grains - nutritional importance and methods of analysis.