Effects of variety and steeping conditions on some barley components associated with colonic health

BACKGROUND: Butyric acid is produced by degradation of dietary fibre by microbiota and is crucial for maintaining a healthy colon. The physicochemical properties are important for butyric acid formation, and this study aimed to evaluate the use of malting to tailor the functional characteristics of barley dietary fibre. The effect of different steeping conditions was evaluated in laboratory‐scale malting experiments with three different barley varieties. RESULTS: Steeping at 35°C and with 0.4 % (v/v) lactic acid resulted in a higher content of β‐glucan and soluble fibre in malts than in those steeped at lower temperature and lower lactic acid concentration. Resistant starch increased, whereas the content of soluble arabinoxylan was lower. Dietary fibre components in Tipple were more affected by steeping conditions than the other varieties. The total contents of iron, phytate and amylose were little influenced by steeping conditions. CONCLUSION: The selection of steeping conditions during malting influences composition and the characteristics of dietary fibre in barley. However, the choice of barley variety is also important for tailoring of functional ingredients beneficial for colonic health. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by JohnWiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.