<FONT FACE="Symbol"> b</font>-glucans are soluble fibers which are quite abundant in oats. One of their many important properties is their capacity to lower blood cholesterol in individuals with hipercholesterolemy. Very little is known about this polymer in Brazilian food products. Besides, in order to be consumed as human food, the oats have to undergo several processing steps that may alter their original <FONT FACE="Symbol">b</font>-glucan concentration. The aim of this study was to measure this nutrient in cultivar IAC 7 and its products to determine if processing had any influence on the overall <FONT FACE="Symbol">b</font>-glucan content. Oat bran presented the highest values (9.51± 2.08%) and was found to be significantly different from the other products (P<0.05). Oat flour, with 3.74± 0.90%, had the lowest concentrations. There was no significant difference among de <FONT FACE="Symbol">b</font>-glucan contents of the other products, suggesting that processing had minimum or no effect on the concentration of this fiber.
Oats; <FONT FACE=Symbol>b</font> -glucans; processing; oat bran; flour
