Breeding Potential of β-D-glucan in Oat Seed

Oats (Avena spp. L.) belongs to the family Poaceae and to the group of grasses (Gramineae). In human nutrition, it is mainly used for the content of food fiber, beta-D-glucan, carbohydrates, and proteins. These ingredients are considered to have health benefits with positive effects for the consumer. The content of beta-D-glucan in oats is about 2-7%, influenced by environmental, agronomic and genetic factors. Higher levels of this cell wall polysaccharide have been observed in naked oat varieties without a husk. In the analyzed set of 99 samples we determined content ranging from 1.73% to 5.70% with the mean value of 3.26% for hulled and 4.38% for naked seeds. Promising natural sources of beta-D-glucan are also other species of the genus Avena, for example A. strigosa (4.18%). The biosynthetic pathway of beta-D-glucan is partially known, and then it is possible, by recognizing factors influencing beta-D-glucan content, to breed new oats with a higher content of this polysaccharide with a biological effect for the consumer as well as functional effects in the plant.