High (1→3,1→4)-β-Glucan Barley Fractions in Bread Making and their Effects on Human Glycemic Response

Abstract

Barley flour (BF) from whole naked grain and two (1→3,1→4)-β-glucan-enriched fractions, a sieved fraction (SF) and a water-extracted fraction (WF), were produced and mixed with bread wheat flour (BW), for bread-making quality evaluation. Bread was baked in a pilot plant and analysed for sensory properties, proximate composition and (1→3,1→4)-β-glucan content. Four kinds of bread were produced from different mixtures of barley ingredients and bread wheat flour: a 100% BW ((1→3,1→4)-β-glucan content: total, 0·1%; soluble, 0·1%); a 50% BW and 50% BF (2·4%; 2·0%); a 50% BW and 50% SF (4·2%; 2·8%); an 80% BW and 20% WF (6·3%; 5·7%). Eight adults were fed test meals of each of the four breads, containing the same amount (50 g) of available carbohydrate, and glycemic indices calculated from finger-prick capillary blood samples. A linear decrease in glycemic index was found for increasing (1→3,1→4)-β-glucan content. The 20% WF bread had a 28% lower glycemic index than the plain BW and also showed the best scores for sensory attributes. This research confirms the effectiveness of viscous (1→3,1→4)-β-glucan in reducing postprandial blood glucose levels, even in foods with a high glycemic index. The enrichment technique, and water extraction/freeze-drying technique, could enable the use of barley as a source of a high-value fibre for reducing the glycemic index of traditional wheat-based foods such as bread, without negatively affecting their sensory characteristics.