Determination of water-insoluble β-D-glucan in the whole-grain cereals and pseudocereals

Abstract

Water-insoluble β-(1,3)-D-glucan (lichenan) was determined in 43 samples of various cereal (oats, barley, wheat, millet) and pseudocereal (buckwheat, amaranth) cultivars using a modified procedure with fungal α-amylase (Fermizyme P 300). The content of water-insoluble β-glucan varied in the dependence on the cereal species and cultivars. The highest content was registered in covered oat cultivars (Cyril and the new breeding cultivar PS-100) ranging from 26.7 to 28.2 g/100 g dry matter (d.m.) followed by less traditional cereals such as millet (Panicum miliaceum L.), amaranth (Amaranthus sp. L.), and buckwheat (Fagopyrum) - more than 20 g/100 g d.m. A somewhat lower average content of water-insoluble β-glucan was found in wheat - 12.7-16.2 g/100 g d.m., in spelt wheat - 8.5 g/100 g d.m., and in oats - varying between 15.3 and 18.7 g/100 g d.m.