*2.5.1 Wheat*

*Innovation in the Food Sector Through the Valorization of Food and Agro-Food By-Products*

local soups and sauces can be prepared from the light brown powder [55].

*2.4.7 Dioscorea trifida (cush-cush yam)*

*2.4.8 Dioscorea villosa (wild yam)*

the steroidal saponins.

**2.5 Cereals**

varieties [57].

in Nigeria. A thick brown starchy paste known as" *amala"* which is consumed with

This specie is a native of Guyana region of South America and it is the mostly referred to as "New World" yam, their growth cycle is less related to seasonal changes than other yam, since they originated from the tropical rain forest. They can be easily cultivated when compared to other yams and also they have good flavor, which may serve as a great potential for increase production [54, 57]. Its starch contains amylose content in the 34.7–43.3% range for white and purple

It is a perennial vine that grows in moist thickets and hedges [57]. It possesses a reddish-brown stem, having heart-shaped leaves with prominent veins and inconspicuous greenish yellow flowers that flourish from September to October. It is usually cultivated as food source and its roots are harvested in the fall. Its taste is usually bland and then acrid, but under special preparation herbalist use its fresh and dried roots for medicine [58]. Also, it is a common herbal remedy for pains associated with rheumatism and arthritis, colic and intestinal cramps, as well as a reliable antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory [59]. It is also applicable in contraceptive manufacture. High content of saponin in species of *Dioscorea villosa* made them useful for the preparation of steroids in the pharmaceutical industry [60, 61]. Studies also revealed that *Dioscorea villosa* had antioxidant activities [62] and the anti-inflammatory activity could be linked to the antiphlogistic effect of

Cereals are edible grains or seeds that belong to the grass family *Gramineae* (**Figure 1**). Grains are developed from flowers or florets and their structures vary from one to another with some typical features [64, 65]. They possess *embryo* (or germ) which is a thin-walled structure, containing the new plant. The embryo is separated by the *scutellum* (which is involved in mobilization of food reserves of the grain during germination) from the main part of the grain. The endosperm surrounded by thin-walled cells (*aleurone*), packed with starch grains [66, 67]. The *aleurone* layer present in grains consist of one or three cell layers (wheat, rye, oats,

**200**

**Figure 1.**

*Taxonomy of the Graminae family. Source: Shewry* et al*. [63].*

Wheat is ranked as a major cereal crop in many parts of the world and belongs to the *Triticum* family of which there are many thousands of species [65, 67]. Among the known species, *T. aestivum* subspecies *vulgare* and the hard wheat *T. durum* are the most commercially viable [65, 70]. Wheat is grown in both winter and spring but their cultivation in winter or spring is dependent on the species, varieties and their adaptability. However, wheat is grown in many countries around the world, but the most prominent great wheat-producing countries are USA, China and Russia. Wheat grains are also present extensively in India, Pakistan, the European Union (EU), Canada, Argentina and Australia. Estimation showed that 556.4 million tons of wheat might have been produced in 2003; resulting to 30% of the world's cereal production [71]. The wheat grain is sandwiched between the lemma and the palea of each spikelet, possessing an elliptical, oval or ovate shape, and has short or long brush hairs.
