ARS | Publication request: RHEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF A NEW OAT BETA-GLUCAN HYDROCOLLOID AND ITS APPLICATION IN CAKE BAKING

Submitted to: Cereal Chemistry
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: June 29, 2005
Publication Date: November 22, 2005
Citation: Lee, S., Kinney, M.P., Inglett, G.E. 2005. Rheological characterization of a new oat beta-glucan hydrocolloid and its application in cake baking. Cereal Chemistry. 82(6):717-720.

Interpretive Summary: With increasing health concerns and interests of consumers, the importance of dietary fibers is growing rapidly as a health-enhancing material. One of the dietary fibers, beta-glucan is found in large quantities in oats and barley and has health-promoting effects such as cholesterol reduction. In this study, a new hydrocolloid containing 20% beta-glucan was produced from oat bran concentrate. Its performance in cake baking was evaluated. The results showed that it produced cakes without quality loss containing 1g beta-glucan per serving which qualifies for the FDA health claim. Therefore, the new oat hydrocolloid is shown to have great potential for use in various food products without altering their texture, making a label health claim possible.

Technical Abstract: A new oat hydrocolloid containing 20% beta-glucan, C-trim20, was obtained from oat bran concentrate through steam jet-cooking and fractionations. The rheological characterization of the C-trim20 was carried out using steady and dynamic shear measurements. The C-trim20 suspension exhibited a shear-thinning behavior, which was more pronounced at high shear rates and high concentrations. Its dynamic viscoelastic moduli increased with increasing concentration while the frequency at which G’ and G” cross over decreased. The C-trim20 suspension at various concentrations followed the Cox-Merz rule. C-trim20 was also evaluated for potential use in baked products, specifically cakes. The baking performance of C-trim20 was tested by incorporating it into cake formulations. The inclusion of this hydrocolloid gave increased elastic properties to cake batters and produced cakes containing 1g beta-glucan per serving with similar volume and textural properties as the control cake.