EXTRACTION OF β-GLUCAN FROM OATS (Avena sativa): A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Abstract

With snowballing interest in eating healthily in the present century, as well as the endemic prevalence of obesity, great focus is being placed on providing consumers solubilized fibers through food. Cereals compensate 73% of all farmed land worldwide, making them clear and significant sources of beneficial insoluble and soluble fiber. Oat (Avena sativa) β-glucan is a soluble dietary fiber, useful functional component with a variety of industrial, nutritional, and health advantages. Oats are claimed to stand out among cereals because they are more efficacious than other grains, like wheat or rice, which are primarily insoluble, against conditions including hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, inflammation, and vasculitis. There are a plethora of sources for this vital component. β-Glucan can be derived from various sources to meet the ever-increasing need for nutraceutical products. The focus of this research was to assess the efficiency of several extraction processes in terms of β-glucan yield and recovery. The extraction of β-glucan from oats was studied using three different methods. The highest yield (6.94%) and recovery were obtained in alkaline-extracted oat samples followed by 4.54% when hot water extraction procedure was used, whereas lowest yield (3.70%) was obtained in acidic extraction. Alkaline and acidic approach yielded the most soluble fiber, while the hot water extracted sample yielded the least amount of insoluble fiber (0.76%). The presence of β-glucan in extracted beta glucan gum pellets is also confirmed by UV spectroscopy. The percentage of glucose concentration in extracted β-glucan was highest in alkaline yield (0.38%) followed by 0.22% in hot water yield, whereas lowest 0.07% was observed in acidic yield. Overall, isolated beta glucan showed great promise for commercial applications. The extraction method may change the physiochemical and functional aspects of extracted β-glucan, thus it must be done with caution.