DisplayTitle

In Vitro Bile-Acid-Binding of Whole vs. Pearled Wheat Grain

¹Western Regional Research Center, USDA, Agricultural Research Service, 800 Buchanan Street, Albany, CA 94710. Names are necessary to report factually on available data; however, the USDA neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of the product, and the use of the name by the USDA implies no approval of the product to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable. ²Corresponding author. Phone: 510-559-5665. Fax: 510-559-5777. E-mail address: Talwinder.Kahlon@ars.usda.gov

Health benefits of consuming whole grains are reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. The U.S. Health and Human Services and USDA dietary guidelines recommend consumption of 6–10 oz of grain products daily and one-half of that amount should contain whole grains. Whole grains contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients. Bile-acid-binding capacity has been related to cholesterol lowering potential of food fractions. Lowered recirculating bile acids results in utilization of cholesterol to synthesize bile acid and reduced fat absorption. Secondary bile acids have been associated with increased risk of cancer. Bile-acid-binding potential has been related to lowering the risk of heart disease and that of cancer. It has been reported that bile-acid-binding of wheat bran is not related to its total dietary fiber (TDF) content. Whole (W) grain as well as pearled (P) hard red winter wheat (Hrw), hard white winter wheat (Hww), and durum wheat (DU) cooked grains were evaluated for in vitro, bile-acid-binding relative to cholestryramine (a cholesterol lowering bile-acid-binding drug). On dry matter basis (db) relative bile-acid-binding values were 7.7% WHrw; 7.5% WHww; 6.3% PHww; 6.0% PHrw; 5.5% WDU; and 5.4% PDU. On a TDF basis, binding values were 42–57% of that for cholestyramine for the whole and pearled wheat grains tested. Bile-acid-binding values (db) for WHrw and WHww were similar and significantly higher than those of PHww, PHrw, WDU and PDU. Similar bile-acid-binding of WHww to that of WHrw suggest that the red color commonly associated with whole grain may not necessarily indicate more healthful potential. Data suggest that cooked WHrw and WHww wheat have significantly higher health-promoting potential than pearled grains. WDU or PDU wheat health-promoting potential was similar to that of PHww or PHrw. Consumption of products containing WHrw and WHww are recommended.