Affiliation:
1. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Edo State University Uzairue Nigeria kadirioseni@yahoo.com
2. Department of Biotechnology & Food Technology, Faculty of Science, University of Johannesburg South Africa
3. Department of Food Sciences and Technology, Faculty of Technology, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife Nigeria
4. Department of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology 1 Shuefu Road Neipu Pingtung 91201 Taiwan
Abstract
The demand for ‘functional foods’ and a healthy diet is growing nowadays, owing to evidence of potential health advantages linked with frequent consumption of these items as part of a balanced and diverse diet. Different colored cereals grain/pigmented cereals – mainly red, black, blue, brown, purple, and pink – have gained popularity recently due to their appealing nutritional characteristics. Anthocyanins are a type of pigment responsible for the colors and the health benefits of pigmented cereals. The different nutritional bioactive components such as phenolics, anthocyanins, phytochemicals, dietary fibre, vitamins, and other biofunctional properties have been much discussed in recent literature. This chapter summarizes and discusses the bioactive composition and health benefits of pigmented cereals, including maize, rice, wheat, and barley, with a focus on recent studies.
Publisher
The Royal Society of Chemistry