Young Cereal Grains: The Emerging Nutraceuticals

Young cereals are stronger in nutrients than mature grains, such as sterols, -oryzanols, tocols, and phenolic compounds. The most popular cereal-based functional foods and nutraceuticals include wheat, rice, millets, barley, oat, buckwheat, corn, sorghum, flaxseed, psyllium, brown rice, and products. The main sources of dietary fibre and antioxidants are whole wheat and wheat bran. The immature grains, a rich source of phytochemicals, would be attractive for use as a novel ingredient with enhanced nutraceutical properties in foods. Nutraceuticals are derived from food, animals and plant parts etc., and offer the body health advantages, such as the prevention and treatment of disease. Demand for nutraceutical and functional foods has increased as a result of the development of the nutraceutical concept and rising health consciousness. The nutrients in cereals have been shown to have the potential for lowering blood pressure, lowering the rate of cholesterol and fat absorption, delaying gastrointestinal emptying, and improving gastrointestinal health. They also have the potential to lower the risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes, tumor incidence, cancer risk, and cancer. Therefore, the frequent consumption of immature cereals and their processed products can contribute to the promotion of health and the prevention of disease. Future studies into plant-based foods and functional ingredients will benefit from this chapter’s information on the composition, characteristics, and functional components of young cereals.