The potential use of cereal (1→3,1→4)-β-d-glucans as functional food ingredients

The health-related importance of dietary fibre, as part of a balanced diet, has been recognised for decades. More recently, soluble fibre such as (1→3,1→4)-β-d-glucan (referred to as β-glucan), has been shown to have effects on the glycaemic, insulin, and cholesterol responses to foods. Cereals (such as barley and oats) are good sources for these functional ingredients, with studies clearly demonstrating their potential nutritional benefits. At the same time research has indicated that the efficacy of β-glucans may be related to extraction procedures, and factors such as dose, molecular weight and fine structure, and rheological characteristics of extracted and native β-glucans. Concurrently, research has focussed on the inclusion of β-glucans into both cereal and dairy-based food systems, illustrating their potential as ingredients to manipulate food structure and texture. Thus, β-glucans (from barley, oat, and other cereals) should be regarded as important functional ingredients for the cereal foods industry.