Application of amylolytic and proteolytic enzymes with a resulting β-glucan out of barley

General information about glucans, their molecular weight and configuration is presented. The classification of glucans is given. The analysis of national and foreign literature dedicated to β-glucan effect on the human body is conducted. In particular, the following abilities of β-glucan are described: the ability to reduce the glycemic index of foods, exert immunomodulatory effects, reduce the possibility of tumor genesis and growth, exhibit antioxidant properties, have a positive impact on the process of regeneration through the activation of keratinocytes and fibroblasts, as well as to provide anti-allergic effect. The information on food products with the addition of β-glucan is presented. Analysis of the chemical composition of barley allows justifying its selection as an object of study. β-glucan is extracted from Chelyabinsk 99 barley variety. The conventional methods are used in the paper. Experiments on the extraction of β-glucan are performed according to the scheme. A thermostable α-amylase and the complex of proteolytic enzymes are used in the experiments. The sequential processing of barley flour with ethanol, sodium hydroxide, and enzymes of amylolytic and proteolytic activities contributes to the reduction of intermolecular interaction of β-glucan with other components of plant tissues, mainly represented by starch and proteins. Crystals of β-glucan are obtained as the result of the experiment. Color of crystals are white with a yellow tinge. The chemical composition of crystals of β-glucan is studied. Among the impurities found in crystals, the largest share (4.88 %) accrues to protein. The main components of the studied crystals are dietary fibers, which account for 91.4 % of the total weight of the samples. The content of soluble fibers (of β-glucan predominantly) exceeds the content of insoluble fibers by 5,6 times. As a result of the hydrolysis enzymatic method, consisting in alternating processing of prepared raw material with enzymes, the crystals containing soluble fiber in an amount of 77.6 % per dry substance are obtained.