Update 2011
Beta-glucans (BGs) occurs in the bran of barley, oats, and wheat , and can also be extracted from the cell walls of bakers yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). BGs consist of linear unbranched polysaccharides oflinked b-(1à 3)- and b-(1 à 4)-D-glucopyranose units.
Properly extracted Beta 1, 3-D glucan has been shown to be completely safe and non-toxic. Glucans are polymers of glucose. Beta-glucan is a water-soluble fiber that cannot be digested by human enzymes, but is degraded by bacteria in the colon into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), an important fuel of the colonic mucosa.2 Rolled oats contain 4% beta-glucans and oat bran contains 7-9% beta-glucans.
Food applications
Viscosity properties of BG can be used in the bakery industry in products such as biscuits and pastas. Its use could also include frozen desserts, breakfast foods, beverages, meats, non-dairy creamers, and canned soups, especially as fat replacers.
In particular:
- The cheese industry can benefit from beta-glucans, as it can improve the cheese structure. Beta-glucans are indeed able to optimize the process of raw material.
- The combination of inuline and beta-glucan has also very interesting properties that can be used as fat-replacers in products such as low-fat ice-creams. This has been proved to be very successful.
Cosmetic applications
In cosmetics, ß-glucan’s immune functions can help supporting the Langerhans cells immune system’s ability declining with age.
Pharmaceutical applications
Some Labs are doing some research to develop 1,3- ß-glucan synthesis inhibitors to control P.carinii pneumonia which is a major cause of death in AIDS. Merck in 2001 launched Caspofungin, an antifungal drug.
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