Abstract
The quantification of β-glucan in oats is of immense importance for plant breeders and food scientists to develop plant varieties and food products with a high quantity of β-glucan. However, the chemical analysis of β-glucan is time consuming, destructive, and laborious. In this study, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in conjunction with Chemometrics was employed for rapid and non-destructive prediction of β-glucan content in oats. The interval Partial Least Square (iPLS) along with correlation matrix plots were employed to analyze the NIR spectrum from 700–1300 nm, 1300–1900 nm, and 1900–2500 nm for the selection of important wavelengths for the prediction of β-glucan. The NIR spectral data were pre-treated using Savitzky Golay smoothening and normalization before employing partial least square regression (PLSR) analysis. The PLSR models were established based on the selection of wavelengths from PLS loading plots that present a high correlation with β-glucan content. It was observed that wavelength region 700–1300 nm is sufficient for the satisfactory prediction of β-glucan of hulled and naked oats with R2c of 0.789 and 0.677, respectively, and RMSE < 0.229.
Highlights
Oats are produced in various countries around the world
The β-glucan content and moisture content of hulled and naked oat varieties under investigation are mentioned in Tables 1 and 2
In the case of hulled oats, the highest amount of β-glucan (5.5%) was observed in ZNY 258 followed by 5.25% in the case of zyp2 gp 63-56, and 4.94% in the case of zyp2 gp 86-79, whereas oat variety Zhangyan #7 presented the lowest amount of β-glucan (3.1%)
Summary
Oats are produced in various countries around the world. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of United Nations, Russia is the top producer of oats (4.72 million metric tons (mmt)) followed by Canada (3.44 mmt), Spain (1.48 mmt), Australia (1.23 mmt), Poland (1.17 mmt), and China (1.00 mmt) [1]. There are about seventy species of oats around the world, while hulled oats (Avena sativa L.) and naked oats (A. nuda L.) are the most cultivated oats species. The latter is hull-free and exhibits a higher energy level compared with hulled oats [2]. Β-glucan is present in the cell walls of the aleurone layer and starchy endosperm of oat grains [4]. It is a homopolysaccharide of long linear chains of glucose units connected by β-(1→3) and β-(1→4) linkages [5,6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
