Aleurone flour is a rich source of bioavailable folate in humans

With the use of novel milling technology, it has become commercially viable to isolate the aleurone layer of cells from wheat grain and to prepare a n ovel flour from this fraction that has a natural folate concentration of si milar to 500 mu g/100 g. The aim of this study was to determine the relativ e bioavailability of natural folate from aleurone flour when ingested as a cereal. Using a series of randomized, short-term intervention trials with a cross-over involving eight men and eight women aged between 29 and 50 y, w e compared the increment of plasma folate following ingestion of 1) 100 g w heat bran cereal (low folate control), 2) 100 g aleurone cereal, and 3) a t ablet containing 500 mu g folic acid taken together with 100 g wheat bran c ereal thigh folate control). Folate absorption was measured by estimating t he area under the plasma folate concentration versus time curve. The extent of increase in plasma folate over the 7-hour period following ingestion of aleurone cereal was more than fourfold greater than that observed followin g the wheat bran cereal (P < 0.0001) and not different from that observed f ollowing the 500 mu g folic acid tablet taken with wheat bran cereal. Diffe rences were significant when data for males and females were analyzed separ ately (P < 0.001). This study has shown that cereal made from wheat aleuron e flour is a good source of bioavailable, natural folate.