Young Scientist Research Award - Soluble grain fibres: Finding the optimal balance between nutritional and technological functionality.
L. NYSTRÖM (1). (1) ETH Zurich. Institute of Food, Nutrition and Health, Zurich, , Switzerland
Soluble dietary fibres, such as beta-glucan and arabinoxylan, are cornerstones of the health-promoting properties of wholegrain foods. They decrease cholesterol levels, regulate glucose uptake, and support cognitive functions, amongst other nutritional, as well as technological properties. While increased viscosity of soluble fibres is often found to positively correlate with the health benefits, it is also associated with negative technological properties and sensory quality. On the other hand, evaluation of oxidized fibres has provided evidence that the nutritional functionality may not always be dependent on viscosity. We have extensively studied oxidative reactions of soluble cereal fibres with main focus on beta-glucan. To maximize and optimize the health-promoting and technological effects of beta-glucan, it is crucial to have a detailed understanding of the conditions that lead to oxidation, nature of the oxidation products, and to associate these to the changes in functional properties. Recent studies have shown that various functional properties (bile acid binding, dough rheology and baking properties) of cereal beta-glucan may be improved with targeted or non-targeted oxidation, but the structure-function relationships are still somewhat poorly understood. Furthermore, subtle differences in the fine structure of beta-glucan may have a major impact on the susceptibility of beta-glucan to oxidation and subsequent molecular changes. Our mission is to establish the structure-function relationships of beta-glucan with other molecules (e.g. bile acids, minerals, sugars, proteins) on a molecular level using state of the art analytical technologies, including high-resolution mass spectrometry, NMR and EPR. This information can later be applied to tailor functional beta-glucan enriched ingredients with desired nutritional and technological properties.
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