Development of Wheat Bran Oil Concentrates Rich in Bioactives with Antioxidant and Hypolipidemic Properties.

Wheat bran, an abundant byproduct of the milling industry, comprises fat-soluble bioactives and fibers. In the
present study, two concentrates were prepared from wheat bran oil (WBO) using silicic acid coupled with acetone (WBA) and
hexane (WBH). WBA extract had enhanced color and viscosity and was enriched with fat-soluble bioactives (sterols, oryzanollike
compounds, tocopherols, and carotenoids) as evidenced from NMR and other techniques. In in vitro studies, WBA exhibited
significant free radical scavenging activity, limited DNA and LDL oxidation, and inhibiting HMG-CoA reductase and lipase
activity better than WBH and WBO. Further, an in vivo study with WBA 2 or 3.5% containing high fat diet ameliorated
malonaldehyde (MDA) level, lipid profile, and antioxidant enzyme (SOD, catalase, GPx, and GR) activities in liver. A possible
reason for this effect is downregulation of HMG-CoA reductase expression with WBA. Thus, WBA has significant potential as an
ingredient in health food formulations.