Effects of malting on molecular weight distribution and content of water-extractable β-glucans in barley

• Published in: Food research international Vol. 64; pp. 677 - 682
• Main Authors: Marconi, Ombretta, Tomasi, Ivan, Dionisio, Laura, Perretti, Giuseppe, Fantozzi, Paolo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Barley; Biological and medical sciences; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Germination; High-performance size-exclusion chromatography; Macromolecules; Malt; Malting; Molecular weight; Molecular weight distribution; Polymers; Viscosity; β-Glucanase; β-Glucans; Malting; Barley; β-Glucanase; High-performance size-exclusion chromatography; β-Glucans; Molecular weight distribution; High performance; Enzyme; Size; Chromatography; Glycosylases; Glucan; Glycosidases; Water content; Cereal; Hydrolases; Polysaccharide; Glucanase
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2014.07.035

In the beer industry β-glucans are extensively studied non-starch polysaccharides due to their ability to increase the viscosity of solutions and to form gels. The current study was designed to determine the total and water-soluble β-glucan contents of barley during malting. Total and water-soluble β-glucans were analyzed from two different malts that originated from the same barley but varied in germination time from 36h (malt A) to 72h (malt B). Water-soluble β-glucans were also characterized using high-performance size-exclusion chromatography with triple-detector analysis (HPSEC-TDA) to evaluate the variation in molecular weight distributions, intrinsic viscosity, radius of gyration, Mark–Houwink parameters and polydispersity and thus the overall structural changes during malting. Total β-glucan content decreased from barley to malt due to the action of β-glucanase and was greatest in malt B (where 92% of β-glucans were degraded) which highlights the influence of germination time. β-Glucan solubility increased during malting, again particularly in malt B, where most of β-glucans became soluble. The β-glucanase activity also affected the molecular weight of the polymers which ranged from 298·103g/mol in barley to 293·103 and 218·103g/mol in malts A and B respectively. The molar mass of the most abundant fraction decreased from barley (256·103g/mol) to malt A (112·103g/mol) and malt B (89·103g/mol), again highlighting the effect of the longer germination time. Proceeding from barley to malt, the cumulative molar mass distribution function confirmed that the weight fraction of polymers below 200·103g/mol increased, while the high molecular weight fraction (between 200·103g/mol and 400·103g/mol) decreased. Moreover, the presence of a higher molecular weight fraction (14–16%) beyond 400·103g/mol which does not change during malting was observed. The Mark–Houwink constants α and log k confirmed the random coil conformation of soluble β-glucans and showed an increase in the compactness of the macromolecules from barley to malts. •Total and water-soluble β-glucan contents were analyzed during malting.•Germination time effects were evaluated on content and solubility of β-glucans.•Water-soluble β-glucans were characterized by HPSEC-TDA.•β-Glucanase effects on polymer properties and structure were assessed.