With a view to investigating the effect of wheat sprouting degree on the cooking quality, textural characteristics and sensory evaluation of dried whole wheat noodles, whole wheat flours with different degrees of wheat sprouting (bulging, revealing, sprout length equal to 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 the grain length, and the grain length) were used to prepare dried whole wheat noodles. The results showed that the surface brightness of whole wheat noodles first increased and then decreased with the increase in wheat sprouting degree. The moisture absorption rate of dry matter reached the maximum when the sprout length was 1/2 the grain length, and the dry matter loss rate reached the minimum at the revealing stage. The viscosity and adhesion capacity of whole wheat noodles reached the minimum when the sprout length was 1/2 the grain length, and the hardness and shear work reached the maximum when the sprout length was 1/4 the grain length, and the breaking strength, tensile strength, elasticity and sensory score were the maximum when the sprout length was 1/2 the grain length. Overall, the eating quality of dried whole wheat noodles prepared from whole wheat flour at the stage of wheat revealing to sprout length equal to 1/2 the grain length was the best, and the overall eating quality of noodles prepared from sprouted whole wheat flour was improved compared with that of the control prepared from un-sprouted whole wheat flour.

Ferulic acid is a widely distributed phenolic acid in plants and herbs, often conjugates with large molecules and enters the colon to exert anti-cancer effect. However, its suppression effect and mechanisms of action on colon cancer cells across various stages of Duke’s classification is not clear. This study aims to investigate the effects of ferulic acid on the migration, cell cycle, apoptosis, and signaling pathways in colon cancer cells (SW-480, Caco-2, and HCT-116) at different Duke’s stages. Results demonstrates that ferulic acid significantly inhibits the proliferation and migration of these cells, inducing cell cycle arrest at different phase, and ultimately promotes apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Specifically, ferulic acid activates the ATM/Chk2 and ATR/Chk1 pathways, down regulating their relative cell cycle regulatory proteins (CDK2 and Cyclin A2 complex, CDK4/6 and Cyclin D1/E1 complex), and thus leading to S-phase arrest in SW-480 and Caco-2 cells, and G1 phase arrest in HCT-116 cells, respectively. In addition, upregulated p53 and p21 proteins also contributing to the induction of apoptosis. This study is highly significant as they provide a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which ferulic acid exerts its anticancer effects at different Duke’s stages, and propose novel dietary strategy for the prevention of colon cancer.