New varieties and techniques to make barley better for food

14/07/05 New varieties of barley could help solve two national problems: energy dependence and obesity. That’s because some parts of barley are excellent for making fuel ethanol, while other parts are nutritious and naturally low in calories.

High starch content is needed to produce ethanol, while soluble fibers such as beta-glucan and other types of fiber have been found to possess health benefits for people. Now scientists are developing ways to maximize the benefits found in some special barley varieties.

Animal feeds rich in beta-glucan cause nutritional problems in poultry. Beta-glucan in DDGS limits their application for use as feed mainly to ruminants, such as cattle. But high-protein DDGS fractions with low-levels of beta-glucan would make useful ingredients in poultry, swine, and fish feeds. The ERRC team is making progress in this area.

Barley fractions that are high in beta-glucan might also find use in certain foods. Beta-glucan has been found to lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure and improve immune function in human studies.

Scientists with the Beltsville (Maryland) Human Nutrition Research Center’s (BHNRC) Diet and Human Performance Laboratory will study the possibility of using beta-glucan and other soluble fibers not being used in ethanol production. Future studies at BHNRC will include human feeding studies designed to test the health-promoting effects from foods prepared with the ERRC barley co-products.