title: Postprandial plasma betaine and other methyl donor-related responses after consumption of minimally processed wheat bran or wheat aleurone, or wheat aleurone incorporated into bread.
abstract: The bran and particularly the aleurone fraction of wheat are high in betaine and other physiological methyl donors, which may exert beneficial physiological effects. We conducted two randomised, controlled, cross-over postprandial studies to assess and compare plasma betaine and other methyl donor-related responses following the consumption of minimally processed bran and aleurone fractions (study A) and aleurone bread (study B). For both studies, standard pharmacokinetic parameters were derived for betaine, choline, folate, dimethylglycine (DMG), total homocysteine and methionine from plasma samples taken at 0, 0·5, 1, 2 and 3 h. In study A (n 14), plasma betaine concentrations were significantly and substantially elevated from 0·5 to 3 h following the consumption of both bran and aleurone compared with the control; however, aleurone gave significantly higher responses than bran. Small, but significant, increases were also observed in DMG measures; however, no significant responses were observed in other analytes. In study B (n 13), plasma betaine concentrations were significantly and substantially higher following consumption of the aleurone bread compared with the control bread; small, but significant, increases were also observed in DMG and folate measures in response to consumption of the aleurone bread; however, no significant responses were observed in other analytes. Peak plasma betaine concentrations, which were 1·7-1·8 times the baseline levels, were attained earlier following the consumption of minimally processed aleurone compared with the aleurone bread (time taken to reach peak concentration 1·2 v. 2·1 h). These results showed that the consumption of minimally processed wheat bran, and particularly the aleurone fraction, yielded substantial postprandial increases in plasma betaine concentrations. Furthermore, these effects appear to be maintained when aleurone was incorporated into bread.
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster,Coleraine,UK.
authors.forename: Edel M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Keaveney
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster,Coleraine,UK.
authors.forename: Ruth K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Price
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster,Coleraine,UK.
authors.forename: Lesley L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Hamill
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster,Coleraine,UK.
authors.forename: Julie M W
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster,Coleraine,UK.
authors.forename: Helene
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McNulty
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster,Coleraine,UK.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster,Coleraine,UK.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Strain
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science,University of Bergen,Bergen,Norway.
authors.forename: Per M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ueland
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine,Trinity College Dublin,Dublin,Ireland.
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Molloy
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Environmental Sciences,University of Helsinki,Finland.
authors.forename: Vieno
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Piironen
authors.affiliation: Bühler AG,CH-9240Uzwil,Switzerland.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: von Reding
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research,Harpenden,UK.
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Shewry
authors.affiliation: Rothamsted Research,Harpenden,UK.
authors.forename: Jane L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.affiliation: Northern Ireland Centre for Food and Health, University of Ulster,Coleraine,UK.
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Welch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001622:Betaine / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D001939:Bread; D002794:Choline / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D005511:Food Handling; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019518:Postprandial Period; D012521:Sarcosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D001622:Betaine; C025138:dimethylglycine; D005492:Folic Acid; D002794:Choline; D012521:Sarcosine
keywords: Wheat bran