Alok Jha

Significance of coarse cereals in health and nutrition: a review

This review assesses the nutritional attributes of coarse cereals and also their utilization as food and as formulated foods. These cereals are laden with phytochemicals including phenolic acids, tannins, anthocyanins, phytosterols, avenenathramides and policosanols. They possess high antioxidant properties in vitro than staple cereals and fruits by different purported pathways. There are also some anti-nutritional factors that may be reduced by certain processing treatments. Several epidemiological studies show that these cereals are helpful in reducing several kinds of chronic diseases like cancers, cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes and various gastrointestinal disorders. Being coarse in nature, they cannot replace our staple cereals, but can be used in different proportions with rice and wheat to formulate various nutritional products. They can be used to make porridges, biscuits, cakes, cookies, tortillas, bread, probiotic drinks, ladoo, ghatta, flakes and several fermented foods. The coarse cereals also have good potential in manufacturing bioethanol, paper, oil and biofilms.

Nutritional advantages of oats and opportunities for its processing as value added foods - a review.

Oats (Avena sativa L.) have received considerable attention for their high content of dietary fibres, phytochemicals and nutritional value. It is believed that consumption of oats possesses various health benefits such as hypocholesterolaemic and anticancerous properties. Oats have also recently been considered suitable in the diet of celiac patients. Owing to their high nutritional value, oat-based food products like breads, biscuits, cookies, probiotic drinks, breakfast cereals, flakes and infant food are gaining increasing consideration. Research and development on oat and its products may be helpful in combating various diseases known to mankind. This paper provides an overview of the nutritional and health benefits provided by oats as whole grains and its value added products. It is designed to provide an insight on the processing of oats and its effect on their functional properties. The manuscript also reviews various uses of oats and its fractions for clinical and industrial purposes and in development of value added food products.

Optimization of a process for high fibre and high protein biscuit

Biscuits are popular and convenient food products due to their ready to eat nature. Biscuits were prepared from sorghum and whole wheat flour with the addition of spirulina (Spirulina platensis) powder to produce high fibre and high protein biscuit. Levels of ingredients in biscuits such as spirulina powder, sorghum flour and guar gum were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) for its sensory, textural and antioxidant attributes. Sensory attributes as colour intensity (R2 = 0.89, P < 0.0001), flavor (R2 = 0.98, P < 0.0001), sweetness (R2 = 0.97, P < 0.0001), graininess (R2 = 0.99, P < 0.0001), and crispiness (R2 = 0.94, P < 0.0001), textural attributes as hardness (R2 = 0.95, P < 0.0001) and fracturability (R2 = 0.96, P < 0.0001), antioxidant activity as DPPH inhibition (R2 = 0.87, P < 0.0001) and antioxidant activity as ABTS inhibition (R2 = 0.98, P < 0.0001) were significantly related to processing parameters of biscuit. Rheological characteristics (TPA and extensograph) of biscuit dough were measured. Studies indicated that amongst all the processing parameters, the composition of spirulina powder and sorghum flour was found to have significant effect on the responses.

Natural Antioxidants and Their Role in Cancer Prevention

We often credit antioxidants because of their ability to protect cells from the oxidative/electrophilic damage that makes them turn cancerous. A number of antioxidants have shown to inhibit the induction of cancer by a wide variety of chemical carcinogens and/or radiation at many target sites in mice, rats, and hamsters. Epidemiological studies suggest that a diet rich in plant products containing natural antioxidants may be a deterrent to carcinogenicity. Many antioxidants were tested to determine if they would inhibit tumor initiation, promotion, and/or progression. Use of a number of important antioxidants can be helpful in the treatment of cancer, either as sole agents or as adjuncts to standard radiation and chemotherapy protocols. Our knowledge of antioxidants in a cancer setting is still at its infancy stage. In order to understand antioxidants and their role in cancer prevention, we must know what exactly antioxidants are and how they help our bodies. The interactions between antioxidant and cancer prevention cannot be decided solely on the basis of presumed mechanism of action when used concurrently. Numerous natural antioxidants appear to have beneficial health effects. There is sufficient evidence to recommend consuming food sources rich in antioxidants but still much scientific research needs to be carried out before we can begin to make dietary recommendations. This chapter summarizes the current knowledge on the occurrence, types and antioxidative properties of natural antioxidants, underlying the necessity of further research.

Role of Food Micro-molecules in the Prevention of Cancer

Diet is now recognized as one of the major factors contributing to the etiology of cancer. Among the several dietary components, micronutrients have attracted much attention of the scientific community worldwide. This chapter deals with the role of food micro-molecules such as dietary fibre, vitamins C, D and E, calcium, iron, folate and carotenoids on cancer. Inclusion of these micronutrients through the diet may protect an individual from the onset and prevention of cancer. Consumption of fruits and vegetables that contain vitamins, fibre and carotenoids and dairy products rich in calcium have the potential to produce folate through fermentations are recommended dietary interventions. Caution should be exercised in the consumption of iron, as excess iron content in blood may prove tumerogenic.In summary, risk of cancer may be decreased by increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, dairy products, particularly fermented ones and by decreasing the intake of red meat and processed foods.