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Anti-Hypercholesterolemic Property
Now-a-days, heart disease is the major cause of human death around the world. In
addition to pharmacotherapy, reducing serum cholesterol levels through making
dietary changes including lowering total fat intake and dietary cholesterol is one
way to decrease the risk of developing the disease. Interest in dietary fiber has
increased due to its beneficial effects on blood cholesterol levels. Introducing
β-glucan rich fiber in the daily diet is now regarded as an effective measure to
decrease serum lipid levels.
Among the cereal grains, oats and barley have been reported to be the most
effective in reducing serum total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL)cholesterol in humans and animals (Pomeroy et al. 2001). Oats has been reported to
reduce both serum TC and LDL-C compared with the control (Theuwissen and
Mensink 2007) and barley has also been observed to have a similar effect (Behall
et al. 2004). A study has conducted that barley β-glucan significantly decreased
liver weight, but not adipose tissue weight (Choi et al. 2010). Another study has
revealed that in mice fed a high-fat-diet, barley significantly lowered adipose tissue
(Yokoyama and Shao 2006). However, oat and barley β-glucans do not increase triacylglycerol (TAG) (Colhoun et al. 2004).
Mushroom β-glucans are also considered as an important component for reducing hyperlipidaemia (Chen and Seviour 2007). Several researches investigated that
feeding of Pleurotus mushroom exhibited a hypocholesterolemic effect (Bobek
et al. 1996a, b; Gunde-Cimerman and Plemenitas 2001). Consumption of P. ostreatus mushroom soup significantly decreased triacylglycerol concentration and oxidized LDL levels (Schneider et al. 2011), and hypercholesterolemic mice fed with
5% fruiting bodies of P. ostreatus mushroom lowered plasma total cholesterol by
28%, LDL-cholesterol by 55%, triglyceride by 34%, nonesterified fatty acid by
30%, and total live cholesterol levels by >34% (Hossain et al. 2003).
Hypoglyceamic Property
Diabetes is a group of metabolic disorders which includes alterations in carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolisms associated with absolute or relative deficiencies
in insulin secretion and insulin action. To treat diabetes mellitus, different hypoglycemic drugs have been manufactured but they have various side effects (May et al.
2002). Therefore, it is very important to have a hypoglycemic drug with minimal
side effects in clinical experience. Demand for natural products like β-glucan with
anti-diabetic activity has been increased.
Oat β-glucan intake has been reported to be beneficial for healthy subjects and
patients with type-2 diabetes (Charles 2005). Two oat products namely flaked oats
(muesli) and boiled oat flakes (oat porridge) has been investigated for the postprandial effect in healthy subjects. The results revealed that both products had a similar
Beta-Glucans
Anti-Hypercholesterolemic Property
Now-a-days, heart disease is the major cause of human death around the world. In
addition to pharmacotherapy, reducing serum cholesterol levels through making
dietary changes including lowering total fat intake and dietary cholesterol is one
way to decrease the risk of developing the disease. Interest in dietary fiber has
increased due to its beneficial effects on blood cholesterol levels. Introducing
β-glucan rich fiber in the daily diet is now regarded as an effective measure to
decrease serum lipid levels.
Among the cereal grains, oats and barley have been reported to be the most
effective in reducing serum total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL)cholesterol in humans and animals (Pomeroy et al. 2001). Oats has been reported to
reduce both serum TC and LDL-C compared with the control (Theuwissen and
Mensink 2007) and barley has also been observed to have a similar effect (Behall
et al. 2004). A study has conducted that barley β-glucan significantly decreased
liver weight, but not adipose tissue weight (Choi et al. 2010). Another study has
revealed that in mice fed a high-fat-diet, barley significantly lowered adipose tissue
(Yokoyama and Shao 2006). However, oat and barley β-glucans do not increase triacylglycerol (TAG) (Colhoun et al. 2004).
Mushroom β-glucans are also considered as an important component for reducing hyperlipidaemia (Chen and Seviour 2007). Several researches investigated that
feeding of Pleurotus mushroom exhibited a hypocholesterolemic effect (Bobek
et al. 1996a, b; Gunde-Cimerman and Plemenitas 2001). Consumption of P. ostreatus mushroom soup significantly decreased triacylglycerol concentration and oxidized LDL levels (Schneider et al. 2011), and hypercholesterolemic mice fed with
5% fruiting bodies of P. ostreatus mushroom lowered plasma total cholesterol by
28%, LDL-cholesterol by 55%, triglyceride by 34%, nonesterified fatty acid by
30%, and total live cholesterol levels by >34% (Hossain et al. 2003).
Hypoglyceamic Property
Diabetes is a group of metabolic disorders which includes alterations in carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolisms associated with absolute or relative deficiencies
in insulin secretion and insulin action. To treat diabetes mellitus, different hypoglycemic drugs have been manufactured but they have various side effects (May et al.
2002). Therefore, it is very important to have a hypoglycemic drug with minimal
side effects in clinical experience. Demand for natural products like β-glucan with
anti-diabetic activity has been increased.
Oat β-glucan intake has been reported to be beneficial for healthy subjects and
patients with type-2 diabetes (Charles 2005). Two oat products namely flaked oats
(muesli) and boiled oat flakes (oat porridge) has been investigated for the postprandial effect in healthy subjects. The results revealed that both products had a similar
Beta-Glucans