title: Effects of oat β-glucan and barley β-glucan on fecal characteristics, intestinal microflora, and intestinal bacterial metabolites in rats.
abstract: The primary objective was to determine the beneficial effects of oat β-glucan (OG) and barley β-glucan (BG) on gut health. A total of 200 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups of 40 rats each, control group (CON), low-dose OG-administered group (OGL), high-dose OG-administered group (OGH), low-dose BG-administered group (BGL), and high-dose BG-administered group (BGH). OGL and OGH were administered oat β-glucan by intragastric gavage at a dose of 0.35 g/kg of body weight (BW) and 0.70 g/kg of BW daily for 6 weeks, and BGL and BGH were administered barley β-glucan. The CON received normal saline. Intestinal-health-related indexes were analyzed at baseline, week 3, week 6, and week 7. Cereal β-glucan significantly influenced the fecal water content, pH value, ammonia levels, β-glucuronidase activity, azoreductase activity, and colonic short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations (p < 0.05). Moreover, the population of  Lactobacillus  and  Bifidobacterium  increased (p < 0.05), whereas the number of  Enterobacteriaceae  decreased (p < 0.05) in a dose-dependent manner during the period of cereal β-glucan administration. These results suggested that cereal β-glucan might exert favorable effects on improving intestinal functions and health but the gut-health-promoting effects of oat β-glucan were better than those of barley β-glucan.
authors.affiliation: School of Food and Biological Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, 5 Dongfeng Road, Zhengzhou 450002, Henan, People's Republic of China. shenruiling2002@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Rui-Ling
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Xue-Ya
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.forename: Ji-Lin
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Xin-Zhong
authors.initials: XZ
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018554:Avena / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000378:metabolism; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry; D001467:Hordeum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism*; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D047071:beta-Glucans / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004043:Dietary Fiber; D047071:beta-Glucans