Positive Health Online

Abstract

PAPETTI and co-workers, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, University of Pavia, Via Taramelli 12, 27100 Pavia, Italy, have isolated a novel antioxidant from barley coffee.

Abstract: The antiradical properties of water-soluble components of both natural and roasted barley were determined by chemical means and also in rat liver hepatocyte microsomes. The experiments demonstrate the occurrence in natural barley of weak antioxidant components. These are able to react against low reactive oxygen species, but offer little protection against radicals arising from peroxidation of microsomal lipids. Conversely, roasted barley yielded strong antioxidant components that are able to efficiently scavenge free radicals in any system used. The results show that the barley grain roasting process induces the formation of soluble Maillard reaction products with powerful antiradical activity. The authors have purified a high molecular mass melanoidinic component, resistant to acidic hydrolysis, that is responsible for most of the barley coffee antioxidant activity.

Background

Methodology

Results

Conclusion

References

Papetti A, Daglia M, Aceti C, Quaglia M, Gregotti C, Gazzani G. Isolation of an in vitro and ex vivo antiradical melanoidin from roasted barley. Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry 54 (4): 1209-1216, Feb 22, 2006.