Bran

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Bran (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Chaff.

Wheat bran structure (E: outer layer; I: intermediate layer; A: aleurone layer)

Bran, also known as miller's bran, is the hard layers of

byproduct of milling in the production of refined grains
.

Bran is present in cereal grain, including rice, corn (maize), wheat, oats, barley, rye, and millet. Bran is not the same as chaff, which is a coarser, scaly material surrounding the grain, but does not form part of the grain itself, and which is indigestible by humans.[2]

Composition

Bran is particularly rich in

dietary minerals. It is also a source of phytic acid, an antinutrient
that prevents nutrient absorption.

The high oil content of bran makes it subject to rancidification, one of the reasons that it is often separated from the grain before storage or further processing. Bran is often heat-treated to increase its shelf life.

Nutrients (%) Wheat Rye Oat Rice Barley
Carbohydrates (excluding starch) 45–50 50–70 16–34 18–23 70–80
Starch 13–18 12–15 18–45 18–30 8–11
Proteins 15–18 8–9 13–20 15–18 11–15
Fats 4–5 4–5 6–11 18–23 1–2

Rice bran

Rice bran is a byproduct of the

beta-sitosterol; all these constituents may contribute to the lowering of the plasma levels of the various parameters of the lipid profile. Rice bran also contains a high level of dietary fiber (beta-glucan, pectin, and gum). It also contains ferulic acid, which is also a component of the structure of nonlignified cell walls. Some research suggests, though, inorganic arsenic is present at some level in rice bran. One study found the levels to be 20% higher than in contaminated drinking water.[3]

Uses

Rice bran
Wheat bran
Oat bran

Bran is often used to enrich

sardines
.

Rice bran is stuck to the surface of commercial ice blocks to prevent them from melting.[citation needed] Bran oil may be also extracted for use by itself for industrial purposes (such as in the paint industry), or as a cooking oil, such as rice bran oil.

Wheat bran is useful as feed for poultry and other livestock, as part of a balanced ration with other inputs. Wheatings, a milling byproduct comprising mostly bran with some pieces of endosperm also left over, are included in this category.

Bran was found to be the most successful slug deterrent by BBC's TV programme

waxworms. Wheat bran has also been used for tanning leather since at least the 16th century.[4]

Research

As with cereal fiber and whole grain consumption, bran is under preliminary research for the potential to improve nutrition and affect chronic diseases.[5][6]

Stability

Commonly, bran is heat-treated with the intention of slowing undesirable rancidification, but a 2003 study of heat-treatment of oat bran found a complex pattern whereby increasingly intense heat treatment reduced the development of hydrolytic rancidity and bitterness with time, but increased oxidative rancidity. The authors recommended that heat treatment should be sufficient to achieve selective lipase inactivation, but not so much as to render the polar lipids oxidizable upon prolonged storage.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ Corn Chemistry and Technology Watson and Ramstad 1987 p. 69
  2. ISBN 978-94-009-0445-3
    . "chaff, which is indigestible for humans"
  3. ^ "Inorganic Arsenic in Rice Bran and Its Products Are an Order of Magnitude Higher than in Bulk Grain". Environmental Science & Technology. Pubs.acs.org. 21 August 2008. Retrieved 9 February 2010.
  4. ISBN 978-0262180306
    .
  5. S2CID 73449809.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  6. doi:10.1017/S0029665120004802.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link
    )
  7. ISSN 0733-5210
    . See figure 1 in particular
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