ABSTRACT
Consumption of whole-wheat products, including whole-wheat spaghetti, is associated with beneficial health effects. Flavonoids and lignans are antioxidant phytochemicals that have received much attention from researchers. Investigations were conducted on the content of flavonoid glycosides, lignan diglucoside, and secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) as contributors to the health-promoting properties of whole-wheat spaghetti. Flavonoid glycosides present in regular and whole-wheat spaghetti samples were identified as 6-C-glucosyl-8-C-arabinosyl apigenin and the sinapic acid ester of apigenin-C-diglycoside while, in a previous study, the sinapic acid ester of apigenin-C-diglycoside was found only in wheat germ tissues. The content of these compounds was significantly higher in whole-wheat spaghetti (17.0 and 15.1 μg of apigenin equivalent/g) compared to the regular brands (9.5 and 5.8 μg apigenin equivalent/g). SDG content was also significantly higher in whole-wheat spaghetti (41.8 μg/g) compared to the regular brands (12.9 μg/g). These findings lend further support to the notion that phenolic compounds, along with dietary fiber, are concentrated in the bran layers of the wheat kernel; hence, consumption of whole grain products is strongly recommended to obtain significant levels of health-promoting phytochemicals.
