The impact of oat structure and β-glucan on in vitro lipid digestion

Grundy M., Quint J., Rieder A., Ballance S., Dreiss C. A., Cross K. L., Gray R., Bajka B. H., Butterworth P. J., Ellis P. E., Wilde P. J.. (2017)

Journal of Functional Foods, 38, 378-388

Oat β-glucan, a water-soluble type of dietary fibre has been shown to play a positive role in influencing lipid and cholesterol metabolism. However, the mechanisms behind these beneficial effects are not fully understood.
The purpose of the current work was to investigate some of the possible mechanisms behind the cholesterol lowering effect of oat β-glucan, and how the processing of foods containing β-glucan modulates the process of lipid digestion. β-Glucan released from oat matrices, and the rate and extent of lipolysis measured in the presence of different sources of oat β-glucan, were investigated under simulated gastrointestinal digestion conditions.
Regardless of the material studied, only a fraction of the original β-glucan content was released during digestion. Oat flakes and flour, representing more complex sources of β-glucan, appeared to have a more significant effect on lipolysis than extracted and purified β-glucan.
These findings show that the positive action of β-glucan is likely to involve complex processes and interactions with the food matrix. This work also highlights the importance of considering the structure and physicochemical properties of foods, and not just the nutrient content.

Journal of Functional Foods, 38, 378-388

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