RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE VISCOSITY OF AN ACID FLOUR EXTRACT OF BARLEY AND ITS BETA-GLUCAN CONTENT

The relationship between the viscosity of an acid flour extract and the acid-soluble, acid-insoluble and total β-glucan content of barley flour has been investigated. The extract viscosity was found to be closely related (R2=0.99, S.E.E.=0.19) to the content of soluble β-glucan. It is concluded that the acid-soluble β-glucans from 14 of the 18 different genotypes studied have a similar structural nature. Genotypes containing the lys-3a allele were found to have very low extract viscosities and β-glucan contents. Quick and accurate methods are described for measuring viscosities of acid extracts made from flour derived from grains of a single plant and flour derived from a single grain. These methods can be used to screen plants for their soluble β-glucan content in a plant breeding program. © 1979 Carlsberg Laboratory.