Epidemiological studies have clearly shown that whole-grain cereals can protect against obesity, diabetes, CVD and cancers. The specific effects of food structure (increased satiety, reduced transit time and glycaemic response), fibre (improved faecal bulking and satiety, viscosity and SCFA production, and/or reduced glycaemic response) and Mg (better glycaemic homeostasis through increased insulin secretion), together with the antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties of numerous bioactive compounds, especially those in the bran and germ (minerals, trace elements, vitamins, carotenoids, polyphenols and alkylresorcinols), are today well-recognised mechanisms in this protection. Recent findings, the exhaustive listing of bioactive compounds found in whole-grain wheat, their content in whole-grain, bran and germ fractions and their estimated bioavailability, have led to new hypotheses. The involvement of polyphenols in cell signalling and gene regulation, and of sulfur compounds, lignin and phytic acid should be considered in antioxidant protection. Whole-grain wheat is also a rich source of methyl donors and lipotropes (methionine, betaine, choline, inositol and folates) that may be involved in cardiovascular and/or hepatic protection, lipid metabolism and DNA methylation. Potential protective effects of bound phenolic acids within the colon, of the B-complex vitamins on the nervous system and mental health, of oligosaccharides as prebiotics, of compounds associated with skeleton health, and of other compounds such as alpha-linolenic acid, policosanol, melatonin, phytosterols and para-aminobenzoic acid also deserve to be studied in more depth. Finally, benefits of nutrigenomics to study complex physiological effects of the 'whole-grain package', and the most promising ways for improving the nutritional quality of cereal products are discussed.

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New hypotheses for the health-protective mechanisms of whole-grain cereals: what is beyond fibre?

Rc is a domestication-related gene required for red pericarp in rice (Oryza sativa). The red grain color is ubiquitous among the wild ancestors of O. sativa, in which it is closely associated with seed shattering and dormancy. Rc encodes a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein that was fine-mapped to an 18.5-kb region on rice chromosome 7 using a cross between Oryza rufipogon (red pericarp) and O. sativa cv Jefferson (white pericarp). Sequencing of the alleles from both mapping parents as well as from two independent genetic stocks of Rc revealed that the dominant red allele differed from the recessive white allele by a 14-bp deletion within exon 6 that knocked out the bHLH domain of the protein. A premature stop codon was identified in the second mutant stock that had a light red pericarp. RT-PCR experiments confirmed that the Rc gene was expressed in both red- and white-grained rice but that a shortened transcript was present in white varieties. Phylogenetic analysis, supported by comparative mapping in rice and maize (Zea mays), showed that Rc, a positive regulator of proanthocyanidin, is orthologous with INTENSIFIER1, a negative regulator of anthocyanin production in maize, and is not in the same clade as rice bHLH anthocyanin regulators.

Caught Red-Handed: Rc Encodes a Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Protein Conditioning Red Pericarp in Rice

Anthocyanin supplementation improves serum LDL- and HDL-cholesterol concentrations associated with the inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein in dyslipidemic subjects

Is the in vitro antioxidant potential of whole-grain cereals and cereal products well reflected in vivo?

The extracts from white-, black-, and red-hulled rice were prepared by sequential extraction with six different polar solvents, and their radical-scavenging activities were measured by methods usin...

Polymeric procyanidins as radical-scavenging components in red-hulled rice.

The influence of white, red and black rice consumption on atherosclerotic plaque formation induced by hypercholesterolemia was investigated in rabbits. Male rabbits (n = 36) were divided into five groups. They were fed a normal laboratory purified diet (normal group, n = 6), a high cholesterol (0.5 g/100 g) diet (HC group, n = 6), a high cholesterol diet with 30 g/100 g white rice (WR group, n = 8), 30 g/100 g red rice (RR group, n = 8), or 30 g/100 g black rice (BR group, n = 8) for 10 wk. Blood samples were collected for lipid measurements and aorta were removed for assessment of atherosclerotic plaques at the end of the protocol. The oxidant and antioxidant status of blood, erythrocytes, liver and aorta was evaluated. The area of atherosclerotic plaque was 50% lower in rabbits fed the red or black rice diets than in those fed the white rice diet. Compared with the HC and WR groups, serum HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein (apo) A-I concentration were greater (P < 0.05) in the RR and BR groups. Liver reactive oxygen species (ROS) and aortic malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly lower, and the liver total antioxidative capacity (TAC) and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were significantly higher in the RR and BR groups compared with the HC and WR groups. Red or black rice consumption reduced or retarded the progression of atherosclerotic plaque development induced by dietary cholesterol. The enhanced serum HDL cholesterol and apo A-I concentrations, and the increased antioxidant and decreased oxidative status may be mechanisms of the antiatherogenic effect of red or black rice.

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Red and Black Rice Decrease Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation and Increase Antioxidant Status in Rabbits

The influence of the supplementation of black and white rice outer layer fractions on atherosclerotic plaque formation induced by hypercholesterolemia was investigated in rabbits. Male rabbits (n = 32) were randomly divided into four groups. They were fed nonpurified diet (normal group), a lard (3.5 g/100 g) with high cholesterol (0.5 g/100 g) diet (HC group); the HC diet with 5 g/100 g white rice outer layer fraction (WRF group); or the HC diet with 5 g/100 g black rice outer layer fraction (BRF) for 2 mo. Blood samples were collected for determination of lipid concentration and oxidative and antioxidative status variables, and aortae were taken for the assessment of atherosclerotic plaques. The atherosclerotic plaque area in rabbits fed the BRF diet was 66% lower than that of the HC or WRF rabbits (P < 0.001). Supplementation of the black rice outer layer significantly (P < 0.05) lowered aortic 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) (-52%, -44%) compared with the WRF or HC diets (P < 0.05). There were no differences in aortic 8-OHdG levels between rabbits fed the BRF and normal diets. The BRF diet significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) level of serum (-37%) and aortic artery (-50%) compared with the WRF diet. There were no differences in the concentrations of serum total cholesterol (TC), LDL cholesterol (LDL-C), HDL-C or the ratio of apoprotein (apo)I/apoB among the HC, WRF and BRF groups. Similarly, there were no differences in the serum vitamin E concentration and erythrocyte and aorta superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities among rabbits fed these diets. The serum concentration of most fatty acids except 18:1 did not differ between the WRF and the BRF groups. We conclude that the inhibition of atherosclerotic plaque formation derived from the black rice outer layer fraction in rabbits might be mediated by antioxidative or anti-inflammatory effects.

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Wen Hua Ling

Papers

Red and Black Rice Decrease Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation and Increase Antioxidant Status in Rabbits

Supplementation of the Black Rice Outer Layer Fraction to Rabbits Decreases Atherosclerotic Plaque Formation and Increases Antioxidant Status