Oats Avena sativa L. and Their Antioxidant Activity

Several classes of compounds with antioxidant activity have been identified in oats (Avena sativa L.), including vitamin E tocols, flavonoids, and nonflavonoid phenolic acids (see Handelman et 

Oats are used in breakfast cereals and baked goods. Oat bran is high in soluble fiber, which can help lower blood cholesterol levels, thus possibly reducing the risk of heart attacks. It also helps the body utilize insulin more efficiently, an important asset in controlling diabetes. Products made with oats contain little or no gluten and can usually be tolerated by people with celiac disease. 

Whole oats, called groats, consist of the bran, germ, and endosperm of the whole grain with the outer hull removed. Whole oats are softer than wheat grains and can be crushed at home. They are available in specialty food stores. 

Rolled oats are the most common form of oats and are so called because the whole groats are steamed and then flattened between rollers before being made into flakes. Rolled oats are popularly called oatmeal. They are available in three thicknesses, and the thicker the flake, the longer the oats take to cook. Scotch or steel-cut oats are the thickest, and are sometimes called Scotch or Irish oatmeal. Table-cut or regular old-fashioned oats, sold in specialty stores, are nuttier and chewier than quick-cooking oats but are otherwise the same. Quick-cooking or instant oats are the thinnest flakes. Some people think they have a raw taste compared to other oats. 

Handelman et al. (1999) treated milled oat groat pearlings, trichomes, flour, and bran with methanol and tested the fractions for antioxidant capacity against low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation and R-phycoerythrin protein oxidation in the oxygen radical absorbance capacity 

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Oats (Avena sativa L.) and Their Antioxidant Activity... 

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