Nutritional and Functional Properties of Cereal Crops

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Economic development around the world and the rapid growth of the world’s population has lead to increasing demands for healthy foods with better nutritional and functional properties from modern consumers. In the global market, more attention has been paid to the ingredients and nutritional value of food products. Major cereal crops (i.e., wheat, maize, rice, barley, and sorghum) provide the main source of our daily caloric and protein intake. Besides improving the crop yield, the nutritional and functional properties of cereal crops have drawn increasing attention in both basic and applied research areas. Cereal grains are composed of three major components, starches, proteins, and lipids, with other minor albeit important ingredients, such as minerals, fibres, vitamins, and bioactive metabolites. The nutritional properties of cereals can not only be attributed to their major grain composition but, more importantly, to the contents of these minor compositions. For example, the contents of pro-vitamin A or anthocyanins in cereal grains make them more valuable for breeding, with these becoming major target traits for nutritional improvement. In addition, other ingredients such as phenolics, tannins, selenium, and fibres have also been recognized as beneficial compounds and are associated with reduced risk of nutrition-linked chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, inflammation, and diabetes. These functional properties cover the wide range of food-processing properties of these cereals, with a distinct emphasis being placed on certain crops. For example, bread- and noodle-making qualities are important for wheat improvement, while starch-related parameters are among the main functional properties to be enhanced in rice. Recently, evidence has been shown that some functional properties are associated with nutritional quality as well, uncovering new directions for coordinating both nutritional and functional properties. For instance, the carotenoid content affects the opaqueness of maize kernels. This Special Issue will welcome a variety of papers, including original research articles, brief communications, reviews, perspectives, and opinions, that showcase recent advances in our understanding of the nutritional and functional properties of cereal grains. This Special Issue will emphaize topics that include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Metabolites and their genetic mechanisms in cereal crops that significantly contribute to the nutritional and/or functional properties of those crops;
• Novel approaches that can enhance the nutritional and/or functional properties of cereal grains, including food chemistry, genetic modification, and agronomy or breeding;
• Studies that focus on the coordination of multiple nutritional quality parameters or the synergistic effects between nutritional and functional properties;
• Nutritional or medical studies using animal models or human cohorts to demonstrate the beneficial effects of new cultivars or lines of cereal crops with enhanced nutritional and functional properties.

Prof. Dr. Guangyuan He
Dr. Yin Li
Dr. Junli Chang
Dr. Min Tu
Dr. Yaqiong Wang
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Antioxidants antioxidants	7.0	8.8	2012	13.9 Days	CHF 2900
Crops crops	-	-	2021	30.5 Days	CHF 1000
Foods foods	5.2	5.8	2012	13.1 Days	CHF 2900
Metabolites metabolites	4.1	5.3	2011	13.2 Days	CHF 2700
Nutrients nutrients	5.9	9.0	2009	14.5 Days	CHF 2900

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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All Antioxidants Crops Foods Metabolites Nutrients

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3 pages, 176 KiB  

Open AccessEditorial

Toward Exploring and Utilizing the Nutritional and Functional Properties of Cereal Crops

by Yaqiong Wang, Min Tu, Guangyuan He, Yin Li and Junli Chang

Foods 2023, 12(5), 976; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12050976 - 25 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1202

Abstract

Cereal crops are of great importance in the development of human civilization and fall into two groups, major crops and minor crops [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Nutritional and Functional Properties of Cereal Crops)

17 pages, 916 KiB  

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

The Role of Amaranth, Quinoa, and Millets for the Development of Healthy, Sustainable Food Products—A Concise Review

by Gayathri Balakrishnan and Renée Goodrich Schneider

Foods 2022, 11(16), 2442; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11162442 - 13 Aug 2022

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 5879

Abstract

The selection of sustainable crops adaptable to the rapidly changing environment, which also cater to the dietary needs of the growing population, is a primary challenge in meeting food security. Grains from ancient crops such as amaranth, quinoa, and millets are positioned to [...] Read more.

The selection of sustainable crops adaptable to the rapidly changing environment, which also cater to the dietary needs of the growing population, is a primary challenge in meeting food security. Grains from ancient crops such as amaranth, quinoa, and millets are positioned to address this challenge and hence have gained dietary predominance among cereals and pseudocereals due to their nutritional value and energy efficiency. From a nutritional perspective, they are recognized for their complete protein, phenolic compounds and flavonoids, prebiotic fibers, and essential micronutrients, including minerals and vitamins. Bioactive peptides from their proteins have shown antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. The nutritional diversity of these grains makes them a preferred choice over traditional cereals for developing healthy, sustainable food products such as plant-based dairy, vegan meats, and gluten-free products. With growing consumer awareness about sustainability and health, the categories mentioned above are transitioning from ‘emerging’ to ‘mainstream’; however, there is still a significant need to include such healthy grains to fulfill the nutritional gap. This review article emphasizes the health benefits of amaranth, quinoa, and millet grains and discusses the recent research progress in understanding their application in new sustainable food categories. The challenges associated with their incorporation into novel foods and future research directions are also provided. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Nutritional and Functional Properties of Cereal Crops)

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13 pages, 2356 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Differential Flavonoids and Carotenoids Profiles in Grains of Six Poaceae Crops

by Jiaoyan Tang, Xukai Li, Yakun Zhang, Yulu Yang, Rong Sun, Yajun Li, Jianhua Gao and Yuanhuai Han

Foods 2022, 11(14), 2068; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11142068 - 12 Jul 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2964

Abstract

Poaceae practically dominate staple crops for humans. In addition to the issue of sustenance, there is a growing interest in the secondary metabolites of these staple crops and their functions on health. In this study, metabolomic variations were investigated among six important species [...] Read more.

Poaceae practically dominate staple crops for humans. In addition to the issue of sustenance, there is a growing interest in the secondary metabolites of these staple crops and their functions on health. In this study, metabolomic variations were investigated among six important species of Poaceae with a total of 17 cultivars, including wheat, maize, rice, sorghum, foxtail millet, and broomcorn millet. A total of 201 flavonoid metabolites and 29 carotenoid metabolites were identified based on the UPLC-ESI-MS/MS system. Among them, 114, 128, 101, 179, 113, and 92 flavonoids and 12, 22, 17, 15, 21, and 18 carotenoids were found in wheat, maize, rice, sorghum, foxtail millet, and broomcorn millet, respectively. Only 46 flavonoids and 8 carotenoids were shared by the six crops. Crop-specific flavonoids and carotenoids were identified. Flavone, anthocyanins, flavanone and polyphenol were the major metabolite differences, which showed species specificity. The flavonoid content of the grains from 17J1344 (sorghum), QZH and NMB (foxtail millet) and carotenoids from Mo17 (maize) were higher than the other samples. This study provides a better knowledge of the differences in flavonoid and carotenoid metabolites among Poaceae crops, as well as provides a theoretical basis for the identification of functional metabolites in these grains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Nutritional and Functional Properties of Cereal Crops)

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10 pages, 257 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Plasma Metabolite Response to Simple, Refined and Unrefined Carbohydrate-Enriched Diets in Older Adults—Randomized Controlled Crossover Trial

by Neil K. Huang, Nirupa R. Matthan, Gregory Matuszek and Alice H. Lichtenstein

Metabolites 2022, 12(6), 547; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12060547 - 15 Jun 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1524

Abstract

Food intake data collected using subjective tools are prone to inaccuracies and biases. An objective assessment of food intake, such as metabolomic profiling, may offer a more accurate method if unique metabolites can be identified. To explore this option, we used samples generated [...] Read more.

Food intake data collected using subjective tools are prone to inaccuracies and biases. An objective assessment of food intake, such as metabolomic profiling, may offer a more accurate method if unique metabolites can be identified. To explore this option, we used samples generated from a randomized and controlled cross-over trial during which participants (N = 10; 65 ± 8 year, BMI, 29.8 ± 3.2 kg/m²) consumed each of the three diets enriched in different types of carbohydrate. Plasma metabolite concentrations were measured at the end of each diet phase using gas chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry and ultra-high pressure liquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry. Participants were provided, in random order, with diets enriched in three carbohydrate types (simple carbohydrate (SC), refined carbohydrate (RC) and unrefined carbohydrate (URC)) for 4.5 weeks per phase and separated by two-week washout periods. Data were analyzed using partial least square-discrimination analysis, receiver operating characteristics (ROC curve) and hierarchical analysis. Among the known metabolites, 3-methylhistidine, phenylethylamine, cysteine, betaine and pipecolic acid were identified as biomarkers in the URC diet compared to the RC diet, and the later three metabolites were differentiated and compared to SC diet. Hierarchical analysis indicated that the plasma metabolites at the end of each diet phase were more strongly clustered by the participant than the carbohydrate type. Hence, although differences in plasma metabolite concentrations were observed after participants consumed diets differing in carbohydrate type, individual variation was a stronger predictor of plasma metabolite concentrations than dietary carbohydrate type. These findings limited the potential of metabolic profiling to address this variable. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Nutritional and Functional Properties of Cereal Crops)

15 pages, 1847 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Structural, Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Protein Extracted from De-Oiled Field Muskmelon (Cucumis melo L. var. agrestis Naud.) Seed Cake

by Huijun Zhang, Runzhe Xu, Yushu Yuan, Xiuxiu Zhu, Wenhao Li, Xiangzhen Ge and Huishan Shen

Foods 2022, 11(12), 1684; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11121684 - 08 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1962

Abstract

For oil plants, the oil extraction method is a crucial factor in influencing the functional characteristics of the protein. However, reports of protein functionality as affected by the oil extraction process are scarce. In this study, field muskmelon seed (FMS) protein was extracted [...] Read more.

For oil plants, the oil extraction method is a crucial factor in influencing the functional characteristics of the protein. However, reports of protein functionality as affected by the oil extraction process are scarce. In this study, field muskmelon seed (FMS) protein was extracted by Soxhlet extraction method (SE), organic solvent extraction method (OSE), aqueous extraction method (AE), and pressing extraction method (PE), and its structure, amino acid profile, physicochemical properties, and functionality were determined. Molecular weight distribution was similar for all FMS proteins, whereas protein aggregates contents were most excellent for SE and OSE. FMS protein comprised predominantly glutamic acid, leucine, aspartic acid, arginine, and proline. Total amino acids content was highest for SE. Differences in functionality between four FMS proteins for different oil extraction methods were vast. PE had the highest value of solubility, and AE exhibited the lowest. AE had the greatest water and oil holding capacity. PE presented better foaming and emulsion capacities than other samples. This study demonstrated that the extraction oil method could impact the protein’s physicochemical and associated functional characteristics. High-quality plant oil and protein could be simultaneously obtained by modulating the oil extraction method in future research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Nutritional and Functional Properties of Cereal Crops)

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15 pages, 1425 KiB  

Open AccessSystematic Review

Effects of Oat Beta-Glucan Intake on Lipid Profiles in Hypercholesterolemic Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

by Junhui Yu, Jiayue Xia, Chao Yang, Da Pan, Dengfeng Xu, Guiju Sun and Hui Xia

Nutrients 2022, 14(10), 2043; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14102043 - 13 May 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5029

Abstract

(1) Background: hyperlipidemia is one of the cardiovascular diseases which becomes a great threat to the health of people worldwide. Oat beta-glucan is reported to have a beneficial effect on lowering blood lipids. To probe the effect of oat beta-glucan consumption on serum [...] Read more.

(1) Background: hyperlipidemia is one of the cardiovascular diseases which becomes a great threat to the health of people worldwide. Oat beta-glucan is reported to have a beneficial effect on lowering blood lipids. To probe the effect of oat beta-glucan consumption on serum lipid profiles (total cholesterol, total triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol), we carried out a systematic search on randomized controlled trials of oat beta-glucan intervention on hypercholesterolemic individuals. (2) Methods: the pieces of literature were obtained from PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and the Embase from inception to 28 February 2022. The results were presented with the weighted mean difference (WMD) with a 95% CI. The random-effects or fixed-effects model was applied according to the heterogeneity. The subgroup analysis and meta-regression were used to identify the source of heterogeneity. (3) Results: thirteen trials with 927 participants were included in our meta-analysis. Overall, oat beta-glucan supplementation significantly reduced levels of TC (pooled WMD = −0.24 mmol/L; 95%CI: −0.28 to −0.20 mmol/L), LDL-c (pooled WMD = −0.27 mmol/L; 95%CI: −0.35 to −0.20 mmol/L). Furthermore, beta-glucan consumption did not show significant effects on TG (pooled WMD = −0.04 mmol/L; 95%CI: −0.13 to 0.05 mmol/L), HDL-c (pooled WMD = 0.00 mmol/L; 95%CI: −0.05 to 0.05 mmol/L). Subgroup analysis indicated that critical factors, such as disease severity of participants, the daily intervention of oat beta-glucan, source of oat beta-glucan, and duration of intervention had impacts on outcomes. (4) Conclusions: oat beta-glucan intake may significantly decrease the level of TC and LDL-c while no significant changes in TG and HDL-c were observed. This meta-analysis supports the health benefits of oat beta-glucan, especially for its cholesterol-lowering features, although it has some inevitable limitations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Nutritional and Functional Properties of Cereal Crops)

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17 pages, 2283 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Anti-Adipogenic Activity of High-Phenolic Sorghum Brans in Pre-Adipocytes

by Hee-Seop Lee, Ádina L. Santana, Jaymi Peterson, Umut Yucel, Ramasamy Perumal, Joaquin De Leon, Seong-Ho Lee and Dmitriy Smolensky

Nutrients 2022, 14(7), 1493; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14071493 - 02 Apr 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2471

Abstract

Obesity is one of the leading public health problems that can result in life-threatening metabolic and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is the fifth most important cereal crop in the world and certain [...] Read more.

Obesity is one of the leading public health problems that can result in life-threatening metabolic and chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancer. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is the fifth most important cereal crop in the world and certain genotypes of sorghum have high polyphenol content. PI570481, SC84, and commercially available sumac sorghum are high-polyphenol genotypes that have demonstrated strong anti-cancer activities in previous studies. The objective of this study was to explore a potential anti-obesity use of extracts from sorghum bran in the differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes and to investigate cellular and molecular responses in differentiated adipocytes to elucidate related mechanisms. None of the four different sorghum bran extracts (PI570481, SC84, Sumac, and white sorghum as a low-polyphenol control) caused cytotoxicity in undifferentiated and differentiated 3T3-L1 cells at doses used in this study. Sorghum bran extracts (PI570481, SC84, and Sumac) reduced intracellular lipid accumulation and expression of adipogenic and lipogenic proteins in a dose-dependent manner in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. The same polyphenol containing sorghum bran extracts also repressed production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and MAPK signaling pathways and repressed insulin signaling and glucose uptake in differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. These data propose a potential use of high-phenolic sorghum bran for the prevention of obesity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Nutritional and Functional Properties of Cereal Crops)

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13 pages, 1848 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Optimized Roasting Conditions of Germinated Wheat for a Novel Cereal Beverage and Its Sensory Properties

by Thinzar Aung, Bo Ram Kim and Mi Jeong Kim

Foods 2022, 11(3), 481; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11030481 - 07 Feb 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2556

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of using germinated wheat as a nutritionally improved novel cereal beverage. To enhance the health-related functionality of a germinated wheat beverage (GWB), the roasting time and temperature of germinated wheat were optimized using [...] Read more.

The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of using germinated wheat as a nutritionally improved novel cereal beverage. To enhance the health-related functionality of a germinated wheat beverage (GWB), the roasting time and temperature of germinated wheat were optimized using a central composite design and response surface methodology. The optimum roasting conditions were determined as roasting temperature of 180 °C and roasting time of 44.56 min, resulting in maximum total flavonoid content (0.74 mg CE/g), total phenolic content (1.95 mg GE/g), 2,2-diphnyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity (5.10 μM TE/g), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (9.45 mM TE/g), and γ-aminobutyric acid content (2.25 mg/g). The germinated wheat roasted with optimum conditions was prepared in two types of GWB (hot and cold), and the sensory characteristics were tested by consumers (n = 102). The cold GWB showed relatively high preferences compared to hot GWB in appearance, odor, taste, and overall acceptabilities. In the intensity results of the sensory properties of GWB, the cold GWB tended to have stronger browning, grain odor, and nutty taste than the hot GWB. Conclusively, this study showed that optimizing the roasting conditions of germinated wheat could achieve desirable sensory properties and consumer acceptance while improving the health-related functionality of GWB. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Nutritional and Functional Properties of Cereal Crops)

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10 pages, 737 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Stone Milling versus Roller Milling in Soft Wheat (Part 2): Influence on Nutritional and Technological Quality of Products

by Marina Carcea, Valentina Narducci, Valeria Turfani and Enrico Finotti

Foods 2022, 11(3), 339; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11030339 - 25 Jan 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3169

Abstract

Wholegrain soft wheat flours can be obtained by either roller milling or stone milling. In this paper, we report on the continuation of a study aimed at analysing compositional and technological differences between differently milled wholegrain flours. Eight mixes of soft wheat grains [...] Read more.

Wholegrain soft wheat flours can be obtained by either roller milling or stone milling. In this paper, we report on the continuation of a study aimed at analysing compositional and technological differences between differently milled wholegrain flours. Eight mixes of soft wheat grains were stone milled and roller milled and the milling products analysed for their phytic acid, lipids composition to determine the presence of trans-fatty acids and damaged starch. A wholegrain flour milled with a laboratory disk mill was also analysed as comparison, as well as seven wholegrain flours purchased on the market. For phytic acid we found that that there is no compositional difference between a stone milled or a roller milled flour if the milling streams are all recombined: the milling streams instead have different amounts of phytic acid which is mainly present in the fine bran and coarse bran. It was not possible to highlight differences in the milling technology due to the presence of trans-fatty acids in the stone milled wholegrain flour whereas it was possible to find that starch damage depended on the milling method with stone milled wholegrain flours having in all cases significantly higher values than the roller milled ones. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Nutritional and Functional Properties of Cereal Crops)

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