Vol. 90, No. 2, 2013 169 NOTE Effect of Cooking on Lignans Content in Whole-Grain Pasta Made with Different Cereals and Other Seeds Alessandra Durazzo, 1 Elena Azzini, 1 Valeria Turfani, 1 Angela Polito, 1 Giuseppe Maiani, 1 and Marina Carcea 1,2 ABSTRACT Cereal Chem. 90(2):169–171 Lignans are of increasing interest because of their potential anticarci- nogenic, antioxidant, estrogenic, and antiestrogenic activities. In this work, mixed-cereal pastas manufactured by adding 60% whole-grain flours of different cereals (wheat, oat, rye, barley, and rice) to durum wheat semolina, a multigrain pasta with different grains (cereals, leg- umes, and flaxseed), and a traditional industrial durum wheat semolina were analyzed for their lignans content both in the raw and in the cooked state, ready for consumption. For raw mixed-cereal pastas, total lignans were within the range 94.91–485.62 μg/100 g d.w. After cooking, total lignans losses of about 35.5, 18.31, and 5.46% were observed respec- tively in oat-, rye-, and rice-added pastas, whereas increases of 5.74 and 13.62% were observed in barley-added and whole durum wheat pastas. Interesting results were obtained for the multigrain pasta: the raw prod- uct exhibited a total lignans content of 9,686.17 ± 287.03 μg/100 g d.w., and the major contribution was given by secoisolariciresinol. This high- est total lignans value resulted from its rich and varied composition in seeds of different origin, legumes, and flaxseed in particular. Our find- ings showed that mixed-cereal and multigrain pastas can be considered a good source of lignans. The effect of cooking was not the same for each product, and it depended on the different lignans profile of each grain, on the different chemical structure of each lignan, and on the nature of the food matrix. Epidemiological studies indicate that the consumption of whole grains and whole-meal cereal products reduces the risk of cardio- vascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes (Chatenoud et al 1998; Koh-Banerjee and Rimm 2003). Whole grains provide a wide range of nutrients and phytochemi- cals, such as vitamins and minerals, unsaturated fatty acids, tocotri- enols, tocopherols, insoluble and soluble fiber, phytosterols, stanols, sphingolipids, phytates, lignans, and phenolic acids, that may work synergistically to provide beneficial health effects (Slavin 2004). This nutritional advantage has prompted the cereal industry to produce whole-grain products, either new or traditional. Pasta is a cereal food consumed worldwide, and in some countries, such as Italy, it is a staple food. Recent statistics from the Industrial Union of Italian Pasta Makers (UNIPI) indicate that 26 kg/person of pasta is consumed yearly in Italy (www.aidepi.it, 2012). Whole-grain pasta has become available on the market, and its consumption is rapidly increasing. Within the group called phyto- chemicals, the phenolic compounds named lignans are attracting the interest of food chemists and nutrition researchers. Lignans are polyphenolic compounds widely distributed in the plant king- dom as natural defense substances. They are a class of secondary metabolites obtained by oxidative dimerization of two phenylpro- panoid C6-C3 units at the β and β′ carbon atoms, and they have a chemical structure like 1,4-diarylbutane. Plant lignans occur mainly as glycosides. The most relevant molecules are secoiso- lariciresinol, matairesinol, pinoresinol, lariciresinol, and isolari- ciresinol (Penalvo et al 2005). The highest concentration of lignans has been found in flax- seed, followed by unrefined grain products. They are particularly present in the outer layers of grains. Several lignans have been discovered in whole grains, seeds, nuts, berries, soybeans and other legumes, vegetables, fruits, and beverages such as tea, cof- fee, and wine (Milder et al 2004; Penalvo et al 2005). Lignans are of increasing interest because of their potential anti- carcinogenic, antioxidant, estrogenic, and antiestrogenic activities (Adlercreutz et al 1995; Kitts et al 1999). Several epidemiological studies have shown a potential protective effect of their metabo- lites, the mammalian lignans enterolactone and enterodiol, against hormone-dependent cancers, especially breast and prostate can- cer, and against cardiovascular diseases. In a previous study, the profile and content of lignans in cereals cultivated in Italy were analyzed, and average total lignans values of 76.05, 401.47, 112.27, 205.77, and 166.93 μg/100 g d.w. were found in durum wheat, oat, rye, barley, and rice respectively. Significant and ample varie- tal differences were also observed (Durazzo et al 2009b). Considering that there was not any data in the literature regard- ing the lignans content of whole-grain pasta versus the traditional durum wheat semolina pasta, we considered it worthwhile to study the lignans content of both kinds of pasta, taking also into account that different cereal species and other seeds can be uti- lized in the production of whole-grain pasta. For this purpose, we analyzed traditional durum wheat semo- lina dry pasta and experimental pasta made with different cereals and other seeds. Pastas were analyzed both in the raw and in the cooked state, ready for consumption. MATERIALS AND METHODS Samples Five experimental dry pastas manufactured by adding 60% whole-grain flours of different cereals (wheat, oat, rye, barley, and rice) to the same durum wheat semolina were supplied by Pavan s.p.a. (Galliera Veneta, Italy), and a multigrain dry pasta with different grains (cereals, legumes, and flaxseed) was supplied by Barilla s.p.a. (Parma, Italy). A traditional durum wheat semolina pasta by a well-known brand (Barilla) was purchased on the mar- ket and used as a comparison. Preliminary tests by Pavan and Barilla had explored the maxi- mum percentage of nonsemolina flour that it was possible to use in the manufacturing of acceptable pasta as well as the best shape. All the Pavan pasta underwent the same manufacturing process: pasta had the same shape (macaroni), average thickness (1.14– 1.22 mm), and optimum cooking time (8–9 min). The Barilla pasta was long (spaghetti) and had the same diameter (1.6 mm) and optimum cooking time (8 min). Raw pasta products were ground in a refrigerated mill (Janke and Kunkel, IKA Labortechnik, Staufen, Germany), and the flours were sieved to obtain a granulometry of 0.5 mm. 1 National Research Institute on Food and Nutrition (INRAN), Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Rome, Italy. 2 Corresponding author. Phone: +390651494436. Fax: +390651494550. E-mail: carcea@inran.it http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/ CCHEM-05-12-0065-N © 2013 AACC International, Inc.