Ferulic acid contents in typical cereals

Abstract

Ferulic acid is known to exist as esters (with arabinoxylan) in a cell wall and to have antioxidative activities. In this study, ferulic acid contents of daily foods, especially in the products from Gramineae, were measured by HPLC. In the same materials, unpurified foods contained more ferulic acid than highly purified one. For example, brown rice contained more ferulic acid than well-milled rice. Minor cereals, such as rye flour, oatmeal, foxtail millet, barley and bamboo shoots contained more ferulic acid than cereals such as rice, flour and their processed foods. It was confirmed that ferulic acid contents were related to total and insoluble dietary fiber contents. This may be caused by ferulic acid esterified with arabinoxylan, which is matrix polysaccharide in a cell wall.