Beta-Glucans 06/RTD/UCC/462
Functional properties of beta glucans from oats, barley and seaweed
Type of funding scheme: Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM), DAFF.
List of participants:
| Partner no. | Partner | Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Coordinator) | Prof. Elke Arendt | University College Cork (UCC) |
| 2 | Prof. Kevin Cashman | University College Cork (UCC) |
| 3 | Dr Eimer Gallagher | Ashtown Food Research Centre (AFRC) |
| 4 | Dr. Nigel Brunton | Ashtown Food Research Centre (AFRC) |
| 5 | Dr. Enda Cummins | University College Dublin (UCD) |
| 6 | Prof John O' Doherty | University College Dublin (UCD) |
| 7 | Dr Aidan Coffey | Cork Institute of Technology (CIT) |
Aim and objectives
The over all aim of this project was to Engineer novel highly nutritious ingredients and products based on oats and barley for the functional foods and cereal and beverage industry.
In Task 1, screening of LAB for EPS production and characterisation was performed at CIT. The fractionation of oats and barley (Task 2) was carried out at Teagasc pilot-scale cereal processing facilities. In Task 3, the use of fermentation technology for development of nutritionally optimised oat-based products this task was performed in the pilot-scale cereal processing facilities at UCC. Task 4 novel bio processing (germination/malting) was performed in the fully computerised pilot-scale malting facility of UCC. In Task 5, the development of novel functional beverages based on oats and barely was carried out at the UCC pilot-scale beverage facilities. In Task 6, a full nutritional analysis of all the novel ingredients and products was performed using a wide range of state of the art analytical equipment (GC, MS, and HPLC). The bioavailability of the selected bioactive compounds was tested using cell cultures (UCC) and a gastrointestinal model for polyphenols and antioxidants (AFC) . In task 7 a probalistic exposure assessment model was developed (UCD).
Innovative aspects of the project
The results from subproject allowed a comparison of the effect of beta glucan isolated from seaweed, oats and barley on gut health, mineral absorption and immune status while reducing cholesterol levels in animals and humans.
Methodology and associated work plan
| Workpackage | Workpackage title | Leading Institution | Partners involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isolation and characterisation of EPS-producing LAB | CIT | UCC |
| 2 | Fractionation of oat and barley | AFRC | UCC |
| 3 | Fermentation technology for the development of nutritionally optimised oat / barley -based products with good sensory properties | UCC | |
| 4 | Novel bioprocessing based on germination for the development of nutritionally optimised ingredients for the food and beverage industry | UCC | |
| 5 | Development of novel function beverages | UCC | CIT |
| 6 | Functional ingredient profile and micronutrient bioavailability | UCC | AFRC |
| 7 | A probabilistic exposure assessment model for dietary intake and bio-availability of phytochemicals | UCD | AFRC, UCC |
Evolution of the project
This project is now coming to completion.
| Name, Surname | Elke Arendt |
|---|---|
| Position | Profesor Cereal and Beverage Science |
| phone number | +353 21 490 - 2064 |
| fax | |
| e.arendt@ucc.ie | |
| website | http://www.cerealsciencecork.com/ |
