Oat Varieties Research Articles

Maternal variability of kernel quality in naked oat varieties and its importance in seed production

Maternal variability of kernel quality in naked oat varieties and its importance in seed production

Predicted Release and Analysis of Novel ACE-I, Renin, and DPP-IV Inhibitory Peptides from Common Oat (Avena sativa) Protein Hydrolysates Using in Silico Analysis.

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) plays an important role in regulating hypertension by controlling vasoconstriction and intravascular fluid volume. RAAS itself is largely regulated by the actions of renin (EC 3.4.23.15) and the angiotensin-I-converting enzyme (ACE-I; EC 3.4.15.1). The enzyme dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV; EC 3.4.14.5) also plays a role in the development of type-2 diabetes. The inhibition of the renin, ACE-I, and DPP-IV enzymes has therefore become a key therapeutic target for the treatment of hypertension and diabetes. The aim of this study was to assess the bioactivity of different oat (Avena sativa) protein isolates and their ability to inhibit the renin, ACE-I, and DPP-IV enzymes. In silico analysis was carried out to predictthe likelihood of bioactive inhibitory peptides occurring from oat protein hydrolysates following in silico hydrolysis with the proteases papain and ficin. Nine peptides, including FFG, IFFFL, PFL, WWK, WCY, FPIL, CPA, FLLA, and FEPL were subsequently chemically synthesised, and their bioactivities were confirmed using in vitro bioassays. The isolated oat proteins derived from seven different oat varieties were found to inhibit the ACE-I enzyme by between 86.5 ± 10.7% and 96.5 ± 25.8%, renin by between 40.5 ± 21.5% and 70.9 ± 7.6%, and DPP-IV by between 3.7 ± 3.9% and 46.2 ± 28.8%. The activity of the synthesised peptides was also determined.

Oats in healthy gluten-free and regular diets: A perspective

During the 20th century, the economic position of oats (Avena sativa L.) decreased strongly in favour of higher yielding crops including winter wheat and maize. Presently, oat represents only ~1.3% of the total world grain production, and its production system is fragmented. Nonetheless, current interest is growing because of recent knowledge on its potential benefits in food, feed and agriculture. This perspective will serve as a further impetus, with special focus on the recently valued advantages of oats in human food and health.Five approved European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) health claims apply to oats. Four relate to the oat-specific soluble fibres, the beta-glucans, and concern the maintenance and reduction of blood cholesterol, better blood glucose balance and increased faecal bulk. The fifth claim concerns the high content of unsaturated fatty acids, especially present in the endosperm, which reduces the risks of heart and vascular diseases. Furthermore, oat starch has a low glycemic index, which is favourable for weight control. Oat-specific polyphenols and avenanthramides have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, oats can contribute significantly to the presently recommended whole-grain diet.Next to globulins, oats contain a small fraction of prolamin storage proteins, called ‘avenins’, but at a much lower quantity than gluten proteins in wheat, barley and rye. Oat avenins do not contain any of the known coeliac disease epitopes from gluten of wheat, barley and rye. Long-term food studies confirm the safety of oats for coeliac disease patients and the positive health effects of oat products in a gluten-free diet. These effects are general and independent of oat varieties. In the EU (since 2009), the USA (since 2013) and Canada (since 2015) oat products may be sold as gluten-free provided that any gluten contamination level is below 20ppm. Oats are, however, generally not gluten-free when produced in a conventional production chain, because of regular contamination with wheat, barley or rye. Therefore, establishing a separate gluten-free oat production chain requires controlling all steps in the chain; the strict conditions will be discussed.Genomic tools, including a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) marker array and a dense genetic map, have recently been developed and will support marker-assisted breeding. In 2015, the Oat Global initiative emerged enabling a world-wide cooperation starting with a data sharing facility on genotypic, metabolic and phenotypic characteristics. Further, the EU project TRAFOON (Traditional Food Networks) facilitated the transfer of knowledge to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to stimulate innovations in oat production, processing, products and marketing, among others with regard to gluten-free. Finally, with focus on counteracting market fragmentation of the global oat market and production chains, interactive innovation strategies between customers (consumers) and companies through co-creation are discussed.

Productivity and quality of grains of oat varieties bred by Nemchinovka Moscow Scientific research Institute of Agriculture at different technologies of cultivation

Under conditions of the Central Nonblack Earth Region on sod-podzolic soil, the reaction of oat varieties Yakov, Bulanyi, Zalp, Ulov, Golozernyi (line 61h) to fertilizers and crop protection agents was investigated. Among the tested varieties, Yakov variety with a yield up to 10 t/ha at high-intensive technology was allocated. Zalp and Bulanyi varieties also exceeded by productivity the standard variety (Ulov) by 0.3–0.9 t/ha. Increases of the yield depending on seeding rate changed from 12 to 64%, and the grain protein content changed from 9.8 to 17.8%. The grain protein content was the highest in the Golozernyi variety. The treatment of crops with herbicides reduced contamination by 65–95%, and application of crop protection agents promoted preservation of the yield and improved grain quality.

Биопродуктивность овса на мерзлотной лугово-черноземной почве Центральной Якутии

Овес в районах широкого распространения многолетнемерзлых пород, где развито земледелие, является ведущей кормовой культурой. В статье представлены результаты исследования по продуктивности овса, по влиянию вегетационных поливов на урожайность зеленой массы, содержание питательных веществ, сбор кормовых единиц, сырого протеина, обменной энергии на мерзлотной лугово-черноземной суглинистой почве в условиях Центральной Якутии при сухой и жаркой погоде в период вегетации сельскохозяйственных культур. Объектом исследований служил овес сорта Покровский 9. Схема опыта включала вариант без полива (контроль), полив по основным фазам вегетации в норме 300 м3/га. Выявлено, что орошение по основным фазам развития растений способствовало увеличению урожайности зеленой массы овса до 12,2 т/га. При орошении, особенно на ранних фазах развития растений, наблюдалось более ускоренное накопление углеводов и белковых соединений. В варианте полива в растениях заметно повышалось содержание сырого жира — до 11,47 – 14,54 %, сырой клетчатки в фазах «выметывание-цветение» и «цветение — молочная спелость» — до 43,35 – 35,31 %. В растениях в 1 кг сухого вещества наблюдалось снижение содержания калия — до 18,44 – 18,94 % и БЭВ — до 41,5 – 42,8 %. Отмечена тенденция к повышению содержания в растениях фосфора — до 0,26 – 0,28 % и калия — до 1,40 – 1,63 % при поливе, что положительно влияло на качество корма. При вегетационных поливах, проводимых в критические фазы развития растений, биопродуктивность овса увеличивалась на 30 – 35 %, а питательность овса повышалась на 20 – 30 %.

Weed Suppression and Tolerance in Winter Oats

A crops ability to both suppress weed growth and tolerate weed competition is a key consideration when taking an agroecological approach to weed management. Amongst other cereals, oats are widely considered to have superior weed competitiveness yet studies examining competitive ability of oat varieties are rare. We investigated the ability of oats to suppress weeds and yield in the presence of competition from weeds in trials involving five husked and three naked oat varieties at an organic site in the east of England over four trial years (2009-13). We identified a number of key traits that were important for weed suppression including establishment rate, tillering ability, and early leaf area index (LAI) which highlight the importance of rapid early growth rate. Furthermore, taller varieties tended to be more weed tolerant but not necessarily more suppressive. Trade-offs between competitive traits and yield were not found in this study. Crop tillering ability was highlighted as an important trait for selection due to its beneficial effects on weed suppression as well as grain yield and also its high heritability.

Phenolics from Whole Grain Oat Products as Modifiers of Starch Digestion and Intestinal Glucose Transport.

Four oat varieties and three product forms (porridge, cereal, and snack bar) were assessed to determine the impact of oat phenolics on starch digestibility and intestinal glucose transport. α-Amylase activity was enhanced by 20 GAE μM (gallic acid equivalent) of phenolics extracted from oat (96.7-118%, p < 0.05), while it was modestly inhibited at 500 GAE μM (83.0-95.4%). Maltose hydrolysis was reduced (49.6-82.4%, p < 0.05), albeit with high IC50 values (500-940 GAE μM). Free and bound oat phenolic extracts dose-dependently attenuated transport of d-glucose-1,2,3,4,5,6,6-d7 by Caco-2 monolayers over 60 min. Oat foods were then subjected to a coupled in vitro digestion/Caco-2 intestinal cell model to determine relevance to whole food systems. Digestive release of glucose was similar among products; however, glucose transport was significantly reduced from digesta of GMI 423 porridge and puffed cereal by 34% ± 12% and 20% ± 10% (p < 0.05) at 60 min. Results suggest phenolics might be a factor modulating glycemic response of oat products.

Oat phenotypes for drought adaptation and yield potential

We measured yield and its components, phenology, leaf greenness, and concentration of water soluble carbohydrates and concentration of nitrogen in shoots of 29 oat varieties to determine (i) the phenotypic plasticity of these traits as a means to capture genotype-by-environment interactions, (ii) the role of these traits and their plasticity in adaptation to drought, and (iii) putative trade-offs between drought adaptation and yield potential. Varieties spaned grain, hay and grazing types, and ranged from 1301 to 1927°Cd from sowing to anthesis. Yield was measured in nine environments while other traits were measured in 4–7 out of the 9 environments. Averaged across varieties, yield varied from 0.3 to 4.2tha−1. The main environmental drivers of yield were water supply:demand from 500°Cd before to 500°Cd after anthesis, and minimum temperature in the same period. Phenotypic plasticity of yield, quantified as variance ratio, ranged from 0.60 to 1.22 for grain types and from 0.28 to 1.06 for their grazing and hay counterparts; high yield plasticity was associated with an asymmetric response to growing conditions: yield increased 3.3±0.28tha−1 per unit increase in plasticity under favourable conditions, and 0.6±0.16tha−1 per unit increase in plasticity under stress. For our combination of varieties and environments, genotypes were better discriminated in favourable environments, where selection for high plasticity would improve both yield potential and drought adaptation. After accounting for plasticity, yield residuals revealed consistent phenological thresholds (943°Cd for GS31, 1470°Cd for GS60) for adaptation to both favourable and stressful conditions. Yield correlated with leaf greenness (SPAD), particularly during grain fill. As expected from theory, yield was closely related to grains per m2 and weakly related to grain weight. Grains per m2 were negatively related to concentration of water soluble carbohydrates in shoots, which were in turn negatively correlated with shoot nitrogen concentration. Under favourable conditions, some varieties maintained a high concentration (>20%) of water soluble carbohydrates at harvest. Selection against this trait could improve yield potential, but residual labile carbohydrates can also be exploited in dual grain-feed varieties, and can provide flexibility for hay growers when logistics preclude cutting at the common water ripe (GS71) target.

Genome-wide association analysis for lodging tolerance and plant height in a diverse European hexaploid oat collection

Sensitivity to lodging of oat varieties has been reduced in the last decades through the introduction of dwarfing genes. However, lodging may still cause significant yield loss, underscoring the need for new oat varieties with higher levels of lodging tolerance. In the present study, we analysed lodging and plant height in a collection of European oat accessions including landraces, old and modern varieties, in order to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) for identifying markers associated to lodging tolerance. This collection has been recently genotyped by the Infinium 6K SNP array for oat and SNP data were analysed as continuous intensity ratios, rather than as discrete genotypes (Tumino et al. 2016, Theor Appl Genet 129, pp. 1711–1724). Phenotypes for lodging severity, plant height and growth habit were collected under natural conditions in eight European countries. Plant height correlated to lodging severity as previously observed in many studies, explaining about 30% of lodging variation. GWAS analyses detected six significant associations for lodging and two for plant height. These results indicate that GWAS can successfully be used for identifying markers associated to lodging in oat, even though lodging is a quantitative trait influenced by several plant characteristics.

Effect of Drying, Polarity and Molecular Weight on Oat Chemical Content and Bioactivity

This study’s outcome brings some information about oat phenolic compounds characteristics and response to thermal drying process, and fractionation by polarity and molecular weight; also suggests that Moroccan oat varieties may serve as a good source of natural antioxidants. In this study, total phenolic (TPC) and total flavonoid (TFC) of two Moroccan oat varieties (Amlal and Tissir) were investigated. Additionally, oat extracts and fractions were analyzed with regard to their antioxidant activities (AA) using DPPH radicals’ cation, and ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) methods. The results indicated that TPC ranged from 8.12 ± 0.11 to 27.56 ± 0.40 mg of gallic acid equivalent/gram of extract dry weight (edw). While, TFC ranged from 6.66 ± 0.90 to 27.60 ± 0.71 mg RE/g of edw. The results demonstrated that the hydro-methanolic fraction has the highest TPC and TFC compared to other extracts in both varieties, and that thermal drying process increase oat phenolic content and AA. A significant correlation was found between phytochemical contents and AA.

Phenolic contents, cellular antioxidant activity and antiproliferative capacity of different varieties of oats

The objectives of this research were to determine the phenolic contents, oxygen radical absorbance capacities (ORAC), cellular antioxidant activities (CAA), and antiproliferative capacities of nine oat varieties and four brans in China. Of all varieties, Longyan 3 and Beiyan 1 exhibited the highest total avenanthramides (146.94±7.31 and 120.95±6.66µg/g, respectively) and ORAC values (21.03±0.56 and 21.18±1.45µM Trolox/g, respectively), while Shaotong exhibited the highest total phenolic acids (143.52±9.42µg/g) and CAA values (33.38±1.74µM quercetin/100g). The EC50 of antiproliferative capacities ranged from 167.31±6.42 to 233.42±21.31mg/mL, with the lowest in Beixiao 8 while the highest in Jinyan 8. ORAC values correlated with avenanthramides while CAA values correlated with phenolic acids. Moreover, phenolic contents, antioxidant properties, and antiproliferative capacities of oat brans was higher than that of corresponding whole oats in most cases.

Quantification of betaglucans, lipid and protein contents in whole oat groats (Avena sativa L.) using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Whole oat has been described as an important healthy food for humans due to its beneficial nutritional components. The positive health benefits of consuming oats as a whole-grain food are attributed in part to β-glucan, which has outstanding functional and nutritional properties. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy is a powerful, fast, accurate and non-destructive analytical tool that can be substituted for some traditional chemical analysis. A total of 1728 single intact groats of six different oat varieties were scanned by near infrared spectroscopy to develop non-destructive predictions for (1,3;1,4)-β-D-glucan (β-glucan), protein and oil content in groats. Prediction models for single kernels were developed using partial least squares regression. Regression parameters between the chemical values, determined by wet-lab reference methods, and the predicted values determined from near infrared spectra, were verified by cross-validation and against data from a set of independent samples. The cross-validation correlation coefficients ( R2CV) for β-glucan, protein and oil were 0.83, 0.72 and 0.92, respectively, the root-mean-square error ranged from 0.25% to 0.60% for all compounds. Independent validation data had r2 values ranging from 0.69 to 0.95; root-mean-square error of prediction values (RMSEP) values were equal to or less than 0.52%, 0.62% and 0.27% for β-glucan, protein and oil, respectively. The data indicated that non-destructive screening of β-glucan, protein and oil contents in single kernels of dehulled oat grains from their near infrared spectra could be successfully used in breeding programs.

Development and in-house validation of a competitive ELISA for the quantitative detection of gluten in food

Wheat gluten contains peptide sequences, which activate specific T cells causing a chronic inflammation of the small intestine in celiac disease patients. It is well established that next to wheat gluten, the gluten-like proteins in barley and rye are similarly harmful to celiac disease patients whereas oat is generally considered safe. This study focuses on the development of an ELISA method for the detection of native and processed gluten proteins. The developed test utilizes a monoclonal antibody specific for the DQ2.5-glia-α3 T cell epitope present in the α-gliadins, which are part of wheat gluten that triggers celiac disease. The developed competitive ELISA uses a synthetic DQ2.5-glia-α3 peptide standard for calibration. The conversion from the measured DQ2.5-glia-α3 peptide concentration to gliadin content is achieved by using the experimentally determined multiplication factor of 250. The gluten content can be then calculated by multiplying the gliadin concentration by a factor of 2. A simple sample preparation method with 60% ethanol is used to extract the disease-causing proteins from cereals and processed foods. The assay was found to be specific for the detection of gluten from wheat, barley and rye with no cross-reaction with 8 tested oat varieties. The LOD and LOQ for gliadin were calculated based on the results obtained for 60 blank oats samples and they were 2.9 and 3.6 ppm, respectively. The assay could detect as little as 0.01% wheat gluten and gluten-like proteins from rye and barley in oats. The ELISA was also found to be applicable to the analysis of a range of processed food such as sauces, beers, soups and bread. In conclusion, the developed assay is a sensitive, specific and cost-effective tool for screening cereals and processed foods for the presence of harmful wheat gluten and gluten-like proteins from barley and rye.

Fungicidal Seed Coatings Exert Minor Effects on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Nutrient Content

Core Ideas Seed‐applied fungicides may inhibit arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant nutrient content. Non‐target effects of seed applied fungicides may vary with crop and genotype. No negative effects of seed applied fungicides on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi were found. Plant genotype affected arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization and plant nutrient content more than fungicide. Seed‐applied fungicides have become standard on commodity crop seed to control pathogenic fungi prior to germination. However, fungicidal seed coatings containing multiple systemic ingredients targeting multiple metabolic processes may inhibit non‐target soil fungi such as obligate plant symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Our experimental objectives were to: (i) determine if seed‐applied fungicidal formulations containing one or more systemic fungicides inhibit colonization of plant roots by AM fungi, plant development, or plant nutrient content during early vegetative stages of several commodity crops; (ii) identify interactions between fungicide and plant genotype. We evaluated seed‐applied fungicides labeled for use with corn (Zea mays L.), soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.], and oat (Avena sativa L.). Three corn hybrids, three soybean varieties, and two oat varieties were raised in the greenhouse for 6 wk. Three commercial fungicides containing mixtures of locally systemic, xylem‐mobile systemic, and contact active ingredients were compared to an untreated control. Plant development, plant nutrient concentration, and percent of root colonized by AM fungi (mixed species) were measured. Fungicidal seed coatings did not significantly reduce AM root colonization or P content of any plant compared to the control. There were significant (P &lt; 0.05) differences among fungicides in AM fungal colonization or plant nutrient content for all three plants. Plant genotype significantly affected (P &lt; 0.05) AM root colonization for corn, soybean, and oat. We conclude that contemporary, seed‐applied fungicidal formulations have minimal effect on AM colonization and nutrient status of corn, soybean, and oat which were more affected by host genotype.

Registration of Oat Cultivar ‘Hayden’

Despite a significant decrease over the last 50 years, the production of oats (Avena sativa L.) presents both environmental and health benefits. When incorporated in crop rotations, oat has the potential to improve soil health and to break pest cycles in corn (Zea mays L.)–soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] rotations. In addition, the presence of a soluble dietary fiber (β‐glucan) in oat grain can help prevent cholesterol, coronary heart diseases, and type 2 diabetes. The development of new oat cultivars with superior productivity and high test weight is required to improve the attractiveness of the crop to producers and to maintain or increase oat production in the United States. ‘Hayden’ (Reg. No. CV‐383, PI 676028) is a spring oat cultivar developed at South Dakota State University and released by the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station in 2014. The pedigree of Hayden is ‘Buckskin’//ND011054/SD020835. Hayden was developed using a modified bulk and single seed descent selection method. Hayden is a white hulled cultivar with mid‐to‐late maturity. Hayden was evaluated in the South Dakota Crop Performance Testing Oat Variety Trial from 2013 to 2015 and in the Uniform Mid‐Season Oat Performance Nursery in 2013 and 2014 under the experimental number SD111972. Hayden was released because of its excellent yield potential, good yield stability, and high test weight. It is resistant to smut and moderately tolerant to Barley yellow dwarf virus. Hayden also demonstrates good overall milling and nutritional quality.

Three hulless oat varieties show economic potential as organic layer feed grain

AbstractHulless oats are of interest as an alternative to corn and wheat in organic poultry diets because they offer potential to enhance agrobiodiversity and produce locally grown feeds both within and outside of corn-growing regions. Hulless oats are easily certified GM-free and have demonstrated nutritional value for poultry. A feeding study was carried out to examine: (i) the effects of substituting corn, wheat or a fraction of each with hulless oats in organic layer diets, and (ii) the importance of oat variety in feed performance. Productivity and economic implications in the context of current organic markets were explored. Experimental diets included an oat-free control, Oat + corn, Oat + wheat and Oat + corn + wheat, each of which was formulated with three hulless oat varieties, AC Gwen, Paul and Streaker. All but the control diet included oats at 200 g kg−1. Three hundred Hy-Line Brown hens were individually caged and allocated to diets in groups of 10 in a completely randomized design with three replicates per diet. Experimental diets were fed between 24 and 32 weeks of age during which time hen health, egg production and egg quality indicators were monitored. Results indicated that hulless oats had no negative effects on hen health and productivity. On the basis of current organic feed ingredient prices and an estimated cost of USD 533 mt−1 for production of oats in the study region, oat containing diets were more expensive than the oat-free control. In an evaluation of revenue based on current market prices for organic eggs, the additional cost was completely offset by larger egg sizes of hens on oat containing diets. There were no major differences associated with oat variety.

Virulence structure of the Blumeria graminis DC.f. sp. avenae populations occurring in Poland across 2010\u20132013

The aim of the present study was to determine the virulence structure of powdery mildew of oats (Blumeria graminis DC.f. sp. avena) in Poland in the years 2010–2013. For this purpose, powdery mildew isolates were collected from three experimental stations in Poland. To assess the virulence of the isolates, eight oat varieties with different responses to the pathogen were used. The results showed that a significant proportion of powdery mildew isolates found in Poland overcame the resistance genes of varieties Bruno (Pm6), Jumbo (Pm1) and Mostyn (Pm3). In contrast, lines Av1860 (Pm4), Am27 (Pm5) and Cc3678 (Pm2) were completely resistant to all pathogen isolates involved in the experiment. Changes constantly occurring in the powdery mildew population perfectly reflect diversity indexes, which were the smallest in the first year of observation, where in the following years these parameters were significantly higher. It is worth noting that the presence of powdery mildew is seasonal and local, which is reflected in the prevalence of the disease in a defined area of the country.

Phenolics from wholegrain oat products as modifiers of starch digestion and intestinal glucose transport

Plant phenolics have been reported to modify glycemic response of carbohydrate rich foods. However, this effect has not been documented for phenolic rich wholegrain oat foods. In the present study the influence of oat phenolics on starch digestibility and intestinal glucose transport were investigated in vitro. Phenolic extracts were prepared from 3 oat cultivars (HiProtein, Dancer, and GMI 423) and 1 commercial oat (CO1). Cinnamic acid derivatives were confirmed by LC‐MS to be the primary phenolic species with avenanthramides (AVEs, 31.6–70.7% of free phenolics) and ferulic acid (52.2–89.3% of bound phenolics) as the major constituents of free and bound fractions, respectively. α‐Amylase activity was enhanced by presence of oat phenolics at 20 μM (96.7–117.8%, P&lt;0.05), while modestly inhibited at 500 μM (83.0–95.4%). α‐Glucosidase activity was significantly inhibited (P&lt;0.05) by free (57.4–82.4%) and bound (49.6–61.3%) oat phenolics, albeit with high IC50 values (499.7–938.9 μM). Oat variety had minimal impact modulation of starch digestibility. All free and bound oat phenolic extracts (0–100uM) attenuated transepithelial transport of D‐glucose‐1,2,3,4,5,6,6‐d7 (d7‐glu) over 60 min in dose‐dependent fashion. While effects were modest at 10 and 50 uM, treatment with 100uM free phenolic extracts from the 4 oat flours reduced d7‐glu transport by 35–64% relative to phenolics‐free glucose control. Similarly 100uM of bound oat phenolics demonstrated similar effects with an 45–70% reduction in d7glu transport relative to control.To determine the extent to which these effects may be present during digestion of wholegrain oat foods, oats from each cultivar were formulated into wet cooked porridges (WP) and CO1 was additionally used in manufacture of a model puffed cereal (PC) and snack bar (SB). Foods were subjected to a coupled in vitro digestion/Caco‐2 intestinal cell model where bioaccessibility of phenolics was assessed simultaneously to starch digestion and ultimate d7‐glu intestinal transport. Results suggested that phenolic bioaccessibility was derived primarily from free phenolics and was modestly affected by oat variety (HiPro 13.6%&gt; CO1 12.6% &gt; Dancer 11.5%&gt; GMI 423 10.8%). Type of processing had a more significant impact to bioaccessibility of phenolics from CO1 oats as SB had significantly higher bioaccessibility than CO1 porridges, especially for AVE C (46.0% vs. 0.2%). Glucose release through in vitro digestion did not differ between oat products. However, total bioaccessible phenolic content from single servings of oat foods ranged from 2.6–69.5μM suggesting levels from foods were below the effective doses observed for enzyme inhibition. However, 60 min d7‐glu transport by Caco‐2 monolayers was significantly reduced from digesta of GMI 423 WP and CO1‐PC by 34% and 20% relative to control (P&lt;0.05). These results suggest that oat phenolics might contribute to a reduction of glycemic response from whole grain oat products but these effects are likely tied to oat phenolic content and bioaccessibility from consumer foods.Support or Funding InformationGeneral Mills Inc and Purdue University Ingestive Behavior Research Center

Solvent Retention Capacities of Oat Flour

This study measured the solvent retention capacities (SRCs) of flours from eight oat varieties and one wheat variety against different solvents to explore the swelling volume of oat flour with different solvents, and thus provide a theoretical basis for quick β-glucan analysis. The SRC profile consists of water SRC (WSRC), 50% sucrose SRC (SSRC), 5% lactic acid SRC (LASRC), 5% Na2CO3 SRC (SCASRC), NaCl SRC (SCSRC), CaCl2 SRC (CCSRC), FeCl3 SRC (FCSRC), sodium cholate SRC (SCHSRC), NaOH (pH 10) SRC (SHSRC), Na2CO3 (pH 10) SRC (SCABSRC) and SDS (pH 10) SRC (SDSSRC) values, and a Chopin SRC kit was used to measure the SRC value. SRCs of the oat flours increased when the solvents turned from neutral (water and NaCl) to acidic (5% lactic acid) or alkaline (5% Na2CO3, CaCl2, FeCl3, NaOH and pH 10 Na2CO3), and rose as the metal ion valencies of the metal salts (NaCl, CaCl2 and FeCl3) increased. The β-glucan contents were significantly positively correlated with the SCSRC (0.83**), CCSRC (0.82**), SCHSRC (0.80**) and FCSRC (0.78*). SRC measurements of β-glucan in oat flours revealed that the CCSRC values were related with β-glucan (0.64*) but not related with protein and starch. CaCl2 could therefore potentially be exploited as a reagent for β-glucan assay.

Identification and characterization of high protein oat lines from a mutagenized oat population

Oat is an excellent source of high-quality proteins. The protein content in cultivated oat is about 12%–15%. Oats with even higher protein contents would have great potential as a vegetative protein source. From a mutagenized oat population, 230 lines with seed protein levels of 15% or higher were identified from green house grown plants. Fifteen lines with protein levels ranging between 17 and 24% were chosen for further studies. The high protein character was confirmed by two consecutive propagations in the field. Crossings showed that the trait was stable and segregated in a Mendelian fashion. SDS-PAGE analysis revealed that the major increase was in globulin like proteins. In addition, total dietary fibre, β-glucan and lipid levels were quantified. No correlation between any of these characters and the high protein trait could be found. Thousand Kernel Weight was also monitored and shown to be stable in the high protein lines. Thus, starting from the lines presented here a further development of commercial oat varieties with protein levels of 20% or higher is feasible. Such a high protein oat would be very important to meet the consumers need for high-quality high-protein oat for the food and feed industry.