Structural, functional, nutritional composition and analytical profiling of Triticum aestivum L.

Ammar, Mai K.; Hanafi, Rasha S.; Choucry, Mouchira A.; Handoussa, Heba

doi:10.1186/s13765-023-00804-3

Applied Biological Chemistry

Table 2 Pharmacological activities of different wheat parts

From: Structural, functional, nutritional composition and analytical profiling of Triticum aestivum L.

Wheat part	Pharmacological activity	Mechanism	References
Bran	Antidiabetic	- Alkylresorcinols, a component of bran, was concluded to probably have a hypoglycemic effect in diet-induced obesity and glucose intolerant male mice	[17, 56]
	Antidiabetic	- Treatment of high fat diet-treated mice with 5% bran or tocotrienols substantially reduced body weight gain	[17, 56]
	Anti-inflammatory	- Ferulic acid, a major phenolic compound found in wheat, has been found to suppress the inflammatory cytokine macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2)	[59]
	Anti-inflammatory	- Wheat bran-rich diets were also found to decrease oxidative stress and inflammation in Zucker rats	[59]
	Anticancer	- It was found to protect against colon cancer in both early and late stages of tumorigenesis in numerous animal studies	[24]
	Anticancer	- Its component, Phytic acid, can increase cell apoptosis and differentiation and affect colon morphometry	[24]
	Antimicrobial	- A study investigated six types of wheat for their biological activity	[13]
		- It was concluded that antibacterial activity was exhibited by some types of wheat bran extracts against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus
		- Also, several extracts demonstrated antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger
	Laxative effect	- Crude bran fiber stimulated peristalsis more than the lesser amount of whole bran fiber residue, resulting in more defecations and feces than whole bran	[60]
Germ	Antidiabetic	- Due to the high level of polyunsaturated acids and vitamin E, wheat germ oil (WGO), it has been shown to aid in oxidative stress reduction	[3]
	Antidiabetic	- Policosanol, one of its components, aided in the reduction of high blood sugar and total cholesterol levels	[3]
	Anticancer	- The effects of lectin present in wheat germ revealed a dose–response relationship, with the largest effects resulting from the highest concentrations at the longest culture period	[29, 51]
		- Avemar, a nontoxic wheat germ extract, which was approved by Hungary as a special nutrient for cancer patients, was found to inhibit glucose metabolism and affects the expression of several kinases, resulting in potent anticancer activity in cell lines
		- Avemar was also effective in in vivo experimental models by improving immune system activity, such as stimulating natural killer (NK) cell activity (by lowering major histocompatibility complex class 1 (MHC I) molecule expression), enhancing macrophage tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production, and increasing CD54 molecule expression on vascular endothelial cells
		- As a result of all of these factors, the tumor cells undergo apoptosis
	Antimicrobial	- Wheat germ extract includes 2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-benzoquinone (DMBQ), which is extremely inhibitory to Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus	[28]
	Antiaging	- After treatment with fermented wheat germ (FWG), the amount of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose in the serum of aged mice was lower	[64]
	Antiaging	- FWG consumption increased antioxidant activity and enhanced the levels of antioxidant enzymes including superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and total antioxidant capacity while lowering malondialdehyde levels (a marker of oxidative stress) in several organs like the liver, brain, intestine, and serum	[64]
Whole wheat grain	Antidiabetic	- It lowers the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease	[11, 65]
		- Wheat antioxidants and insoluble fiber are considered to be the major contributors to these positive benefits
		- Another study proved that α-glucosidase inhibition increased with increasing germination time for wheat methanolic extracts containing starch
	Anti-inflammatory	- The inclusion of whole wheat grain in diets was recommended due to its reduction of markers associated with inflammation	[25]
	Anticancer	- Arabinoxylan, a component of whole wheat grain, significantly inhibited the growth of mouse transplantable tumors in S180 tumor-bearing mice, while significantly promoting thymus and spleen indexes, spleenocyte proliferation, NK cells and macrophage phagocytosis activity, interleukin 2 production, and delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction	[6]
	Anticancer	- Arabinoxylan also enhanced peripheral leukocyte count and bone marrow cellularity	[6]
Wheatgrass	Antidiabetic	- Giving diabetic rats wheatgrass reduced their HbA1C levels and raised their Hb levels, demonstrating its potential for preventing diabetes complications	[37]
		- Increased glycolysis (increased liver hexokinase activity) might also possibly explain the reduction in blood glucose level in wheatgrass-treated rats
		- In addition, the activities of hepatic glucose-6-phosphatase in diabetic rats were considerably enhanced
	Anti-inflammatory	- Its anti-inflammatory was equivalent to diclofenac sodium in chronic inflammation	[41]
	Anti-inflammatory	- On the other hand, it showed no anti-inflammatory effect in acute models	[41]
Bioprocessed bread	Anti-inflammatory	- The consumption of bioprocessed bread with improved phenolic compound bioavailability caused a significant reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines in humans	[30]
Other	Antimicrobial	- A study compared the antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus of selected wheat varieties including winter wheat. The highest inhibitory activity was demonstrated by winter wheat against all strains tested, with S. aureus being the most sensitive strain with an MIC of 0.50 mg/mL	[9]

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