Title:The Immunomodulatory Potential of Cereal Grains
Volume: 14
Issue: 3
Author(s): Damian Crowley, Yvonne O`Callaghan and Nora M. O`Brien*
Affiliation:
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, Cork,Ireland
Keywords:
Cereal grains, inflammation, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, peptides, whole grains.
Abstract: Inflammation is a normal response to tissue injury or infection and many chronic diseases
are characterised to some extent by the presence of low-grade inflammation. Considerable
interest exists in reducing chronic disease risk or managing illnesses through health-promoting
dietary ingredients. Cereals are a source of macronutrients, minerals, vitamins and other micronutrients
and are also known to contain a range of biologically active substances such as arabinoxylans,
β-glucans, cellulose, lignans, lignin, sterols, tocopherols, tocotrienols, alkylresorcinols, phenolic
acids and microelements. Cereal grains displaying anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory
activity may have an important role to play in alleviating some of the primary symptoms of
inflammation. This paper reviews some of the recent research conducted on cereal grains in relation
to their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity.
