The Bio-Functional Properties of Pigmented Cereals may Involve Synergies among Different Bioactive Species.

This study was aimed at characterizing the anthocyanins and phenolics profile in different varieties of pigmented corn and wheat and in some of their milling fractions. Acid/ethanol extracts were used to assess total anthocyanins, overall antioxidant activity, the overall polyphenol profile, and for evaluating the inhibition of pancreatic α-amylase and of intestinal α-glucosidase. Both enzymes were inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by all extracts, but individual extracts had specific effects on each enzyme. Anti-inflammatory response was evaluated by using acid-free extracts and Caco-2 cells transiently transfected with a luciferase reporter gene responding to cytokine stimulation. The immune response of interleukin-stimulated cells decreased significantly in a dose-dependent manner in the presence of 20-50 µM/l anthocyanins from all grains extracts, again with a different efficiency. The inhibitory ability and the anti-inflammatory capability of these extracts are in most cases higher than in similar extracts from other sources, suggesting that activities in each extract may imply specific synergies between anthocyanins and other phenolics.

Bio-Functional and Structural Properties of Pasta Enriched with a Debranning Fraction from Purple Wheat.

A colored and fiber-rich fraction from the debranning of purple wheat was incorporated at 25% into semolina- and flour-based pasta produced on a pilot-plant scale, with the aim of increasing anthocyanin and total phenolic content with respect to pasta obtained from whole pigmented grains. The debranning fraction impaired the formation of disulfide-stabilized protein networks in semolina-based systems. Recovery of phenolics was impaired by the pasta making process, and cooking decreased the phenolic content in both enriched samples. Cooking-related losses in anthocyanins and total phenolics were similar, but anthocyanins in the cooked semolina-based pasta were around 20% of what was expected from the formulation. HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) profiling of phenolics was carried out on extracts from either type of enriched pasta both before and after cooking and indicate possible preferential retention of specific compounds in each type of enriched pasta. Extracts from cooked samples of either enriched pasta were tested as inhibitors of enzymes involved in glucose metabolism and uptake, as well as for their capacity of suppressing the response to inflammatory stimuli. Results of both biological tests indicate that the phenolics in extracts from both cooked pasta samples had inhibitory capacities higher than extracts of the original debranning fraction at identical concentrations of total bioactives.

Changes in pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance after bare metal and drug eluting stent implantation in patients with stable coronary disease.

OBJECTIVES: In this study we aimed to assess the changes in pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) after the placement of either a drug-eluting-stent (DES) or bare-metal-stent (BMS) in patients with stable coronary artery disease. DESIGN AND METHODS: Percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) with either BMS or DES were undertaken for 152 patients (82 in the BMS and 70 in the DES groups respectively). PAB values were measured 24h before and after PCI. RESULTS: Baseline PAB values were 80.68 (64.98-99.37) and 98.86 (64.70-140.62) for BMS and DES group, respectively, which were not significantly different between the 2 groups (P>0.05). Following PCI, median PAB values decreased to 72.10 (61.40-96.13) and 81.40 (54.15-121.90) in BMS and DES groups, respectively. The reduction was significant in both BMS and DES groups (P<0.05). The changes in PAB values were -2.81 (-12.76 to 2.31) for BMS and -2.82 (-29.88 to 8.93) for DES group, which were not significantly different between the 2 groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: We found that the reported difference in clinical outcomes following DES or BMS implantation cannot be attributed to differences in early changes in oxidative stress induction as assessed by changes in PAB values.