Improving cereal grain carbohydrates for diet and health

Starch and cell wall polysaccharides (dietary fibre) of cereal grains contribute to the health benefits associated with the consumption of whole grain cereal products, including reduced risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer. The physiological bases for these effects are reviewed in relation to the structures and physical properties of the polysaccharides and their behaviour (including digestion and fermentation) in the gastro-intestinal tract. Strategies for modifying the content and composition of grain polysaccharides to increase their health benefits are discussed, including exploiting natural variation and using mutagenesis and transgenesis to generate further variation. These studies will facilitate the development of new types of cereals and cereal products to face the major health challenges of the 21st century.     

Superfine grinding improves functional properties and antioxidant capacities of bran dietary fibre from Qingke (hull-less barley) grown in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China

The effect of particle size of hull-less barley (HLB) bran DF on antioxidant and physicochemical properties was investigated. HLB bran and extracted DF was ground by regular and superfine grinding, their particle sizes were determined using laser diffraction method. The results showed that superfine grinding could significantly pulverize DF particles to micro-scale; the particle size distribution was close to a Gaussian distribution. The soluble DF in HLB bran was increased effectively with superfine grinding. Insoluble DF with submicron scale showed increased total phenolic content (TPC), DPPH radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). With particle size reduction, the water retention capacity (WRC), swelling capacity (SC), oil binding capacity (OBC), and nitrite ion absorption capacity (NIAC) were significantly (p < 0.05) increased and the water holding capacity (WHC) had no significant change. A kind of health beneficial DF with higher soluble DF content, WRC, SC, OBC, NIAC and antioxidant activity was obtained using superfine grinding.     

Grain composition of Virginia winter barley and implications for use in feed,food, and biofuels production

Grain compositional components impacting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) use in food, feed and fuel products, must be combined with improved agronomic traits to produce a commercially viable barley cultivar. Little current information is available on grain composition and variability among winter barley genotypes. This study was conducted to determine the variability among modern hulled and hulless winter barley genotypes in grain composition. Barley types varied significantly in grain and kernel weight, starch, beta-glucan, oil and ash content, but not in protein concentration. Hulless barley had significantly higher grain test weight and starch concentration than hulled and malting types, and significantly higher beta-glucan than malting barley. Hulless barley had significantly lower kernel weights, oil, and ash concentrations than hulled and malting types. Higher starch and lower fiber and ash in grain of hulless barley versus hulled feed or malting type barley are characteristics that increase hulless barley desirability. Selection for high starch concentration among all barley types is feasible and will facilitate development of barley cultivars better suited for use in feed, malt, and ethanol production.     

The effects of extrusion on the content and properties of dietary fibre components in various barley cultivars

Wholemeal flour from five Czech spring barley materials was processed in a single-screw extruder at 130 °C, addition of 20% water and a screw speed of 220 rpm. Two barleys (AF Cesar, AF Lucius) were hulless cultivars with a standard starch composition, while three barleys (KM 2624, KM 2460-1, KM 2460-2) were hulled waxy lines. The effect of extrusion on content of different dietary fibre fractions was determined. Also the changes of the molar mass of β-glucan were studied. Regardless of the barley genotype (standard starch or waxy), the extrusion had no significant effect on arabinoxylan content. A significantly higher beta-glucan and soluble dietary fibre content in barley cultivars with standard starch composition was observed after extrusion. The content of insoluble dietary fibre decreased significantly in all extruded flours. The molar mass of water-extractable beta-glucan increased independently of the barley variety after extrusion. But the increase in beta-glucan extractability due to extrusion was not observed.     

Naked barley—Optimized recipe for pure barley bread with sufficient beta-glucan according to the EFSA health claims

Naked barley is an underutilized crop that is suitable for the production of functional food: it contains remarkable amounts of β-glucans, which are well known for their blood cholesterol and short-time blood sugar regulating properties and their impact on weight regulation. The aim of the present work was to develop naked barley bread with satisfying sensory characteristics and good baking qualities that could augment the intake of dietary fiber, especially β-glucans and therefore meet the requirements of the EFSA health claim for β-glucans.     

裸燕麦核心种质的抗氧化特性

为了解裸燕麦种质资源的抗氧化特性及其抗氧化作用的物质基础,选用和检测了120份国内外裸燕麦种质。其DPPH清除能力及总酚、生物碱和β-葡聚糖含量的变幅分别为4.34~179.98 mg L^-1、250.99~807.88 mg kg^-1、25.21~347.55 mg kg^-1和0.59%~9.69%,表现出明显的基因型差异,不同来源地和不同种质类型裸燕麦的抗氧化能力和生物碱含量差异较大。采用K-mean cluster快速聚类法将其聚为6大类群,分别由20、39、2、22、12和25份种质组成。燕麦籽粒抗氧化能力与其总酚、生物碱含量呈极显著(P＜0.01)正相关,但与β-葡聚糖含量无显著相关性。表明裸燕麦抗氧化能力与其籽粒中所含的总酚和生物碱类物质密切相关。本研究还筛选出一批高抗氧化的燕麦种质资源,有望用于高抗氧化性燕麦品种的培育。     

Pre-harvest glyphosate application effects on properties of β-glucan from oat groats

Pre-harvest glyphosate is applied to cereal grains to control weed growth. However, it has been claimed that oat (Avena sativa L.) composition is affected by pre-harvest glyphosate application. The research was conducted to evaluate differences in properties of β-glucan in grains of pre-harvest glyphosate treated versus untreated oat plants. Two oat cultivars (Rockford and Souris) were grown at Minot and Prosper, ND, in 2015, and glyphosate was sprayed during the soft dough stage, hard dough stage, or not applied. β-glucan viscosity was not significantly (p > 0.05) affected by treatment at soft dough (1082 cP) or mature (1166 cP) stages compared with untreated (1150 cP) controls. Applying glyphosate at the soft dough stage significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the content and solubility of the β-glucan versus untreated samples. β-glucan content and solubility in oat treated at soft dough were 4.35% and 52.1%, respectively, while in untreated samples were 4.65% and 60.6%, respectively. Treatment at soft dough and hard dough stages significantly (p < 0.05) increased weight average molecular weight (M_w) of the high molecular weight fraction of soluble β-glucan (4.4 × 10⁶ and 3.8 × 10⁶, respectively), compared with untreated controls (3.5 × 10⁶). The M_w of the low molecular weight fraction of soluble β-glucan fraction significantly (p < 0.05) increased at soft and hard dough treatments (5.5 × 10⁵ and 3.3 × 10⁵, respectively), versus untreated samples (3.0 × 10⁵). Therefore, glyphosate can be applied when the grain has reached physiological maturity or thereafter.     

Molecular weight distribution and content of water-extractable β-glucan in rye crisp bread

Rye crisp doughs and breads were made from three rye flours with different falling numbers (i.e. different enzyme activity), with or without oat bran rich in β-glucan (OBG) added, and with different fermentation times. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of endogenous enzymes in the flour on molecular weight and content of water-extractable β-glucan in the doughs and breads. The molecular weight distribution of β-glucan was unimodal for the flours, with a calcofluor average molecular weight of about 90×10⁴ g/mol for the rye flours, and 150×10⁴ g/mol for rye flours with added OBG. The molecular weight decreased with increasing fermentation time for all doughs, but was almost unchanged during oven-baking. The calcofluor average molecular weight was highest in doughs and breads made of flour with highest falling number (i.e. lowest enzyme activity), indicating that the endogenous enzymes in the flour were responsible for the breakdown of β-glucan. During fermentation, water-extractable β-glucan was released from the insoluble matrix, probably by the endogenous enzymes in the flour. When the molecular weight of the water-extractable β-glucan decreased, they probably associated with each other or with other components in the dough to form unextractable complexes. The content of water-extractable β-glucan did not change during oven-baking.     

A water-soluble β-glucan improves growth performance by altering gut microbiome and health in weaned pigs

Beta-glucan has been shown to have a beneficial effect on gastrointestinal health. This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of β-glucan isolated from Agrobacterium sp. ZX09 on growth performance and intestinal health of weaning pigs. A total of 108 weaned pigs (21 d of age; 6.05 ± 0.36 kg) were randomly divided into 3 groups (6 pens/group; 6 pigs/pen), and the groups were each treated with the following diets: 1) basal diet, 2) basal diet supplemented with 20 mg/kg olaquindox, 3) basal diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg β-glucan, for 21 d. Compared with the control group, pigs fed with 200 mg/kg β-glucan had greaterBW, average daily gain and duodenal villus height to crypt depth ratio (P < 0.05). Olaquindox increased the duodenal or jejunal villus height of pigs compared with β-glucan. Compared with the control group, β-glucan tended to increase the occludin mRNA expression in the jejunum (0.05 < P < 0.10). Beta-glucan enriched the beneficial microbiota in the ileum of pigs (P < 0.05). In conclusion, β-glucan may promote growth performance by improving intestinal health and increasing beneficial microbiota of weaned pigs. The study results will provide valuable theoretical guidance for the utilization of β-glucan in weaned pigs.