The content of water-soluble and water-insoluble β-d-glucans in selected oats and barley varieties

In this paper, data on the inter-variety variability in chemical composition of oats and barley are summarized. The obtained results show that the content of soluble glucans decreases in the following order: barley (3.75 ± 0.14–7.96 ± 0.09 g/100 g of dry mass) ⩾ naked oats (3.91 ± 0.15–7.47 ± 0.06 g/100 g of dry mass) > hulled oats (1.97 ± 0.08–4.09 ± 0.19 g/100 g of dry mass), whereas the content of insoluble glucans decreases in the order: hulled oats (33.73 ± 1.55–13.79 ± 0.51 g/100 g of dry mass) > barley (10.89 ± 0.60–21.70 ± 0.73 g/100 g of dry mass) > naked oats (5.15 ± 0.06–10.80 ± 0.54 g/100 g of dry mass). When comparing the content of insoluble β-glucan in whole flour, bran and flour it was found that the content decreases from the outer coat to the endosperm. These results were confirmed for both cereals mentioned. s work, the influence of warehousing duration on the change in quantity of soluble β-glucans when stored at room temperature (25 ± 2 °C) and in a refrigerator (8 ± 2 °C) was monitored. From the results obtained, it can be concluded that the content of soluble β-glucans decreases with time. Slower alteration in soluble β-glucans content was detected in samples stored in refrigeration; however, lower temperatures did not halt the decrease of soluble β-glucans content in ground samples. The results show the need for stating the duration of warehousing from the time the sample was processed.