Reference Number: 111
Year: 2010
Link: Link to original paper
Inclusions: Flax seeds
Summary
Summary
Lignans are compounds found in a variety of plant materials including flaxseed, pumpkin seed, sesame seed, soybean, broccoli, and some berries. The major lignan in flaxseed is called secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG). Once ingested, SDG is converted in the colon into active mammalian lignans, enterodiol, and entero-lactone, which have shown promise in reducing growth of cancerous tumors, especially hormone-sensitive ones such as those of the breast, endometrium, and prostate. Known for their hydrogen-donating antioxidant activity as well
as their ability to complex divalent transition metal cations, lignans are propitious to human health. The extraction methods vary from simple to complex depending on extraction, separation, fractionation, identification, and detection of the analytes. Flax lignan is also a source of useful biologically active components found in plant foods, such as phytochemicals, and it is considered a functional food.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY
Lignans are found in most fiber-rich plants, including grains such as wheat, barley, and oats however the highest amounts occurring in flaxseeds. Plant lignans are phenolic compounds which when ingested are converted by certain bacteria present in our gut into photochemical compounds that are readily absorbed by the body and provide important nutritional and health benefits. Whats even more interesting is that the sourdough fermentation process increases the availability of these plant lignans making them easily available for our gut microbes to convert them into beneficial compounds. The addition of flaxseeds into sourdough bread therefore adds to its already existing phenolic content thereby making a polyphenol rich loaf.
