Cereal (1,3)(1,4)-β-d-glucans, known as β-d-glucans, are cell wall polysaccharides observed in selected plants of grasses, and oats and barley are their good natural sources. Thanks to their physicochemical properties β-d-glucans have therapeutic and nutritional potential and a specific place for their functional characteristics in diverse food formulations. They can function as thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and textural and gelation agents in beverages, bakery, meat, and extruded products. The objective of this review is to describe the primary procedures for the production of β-d-glucans from cereal grains, to define the processing factors influencing their properties, and to summarize their current use in the production of novel cereal-based foods. Additionally, the study delves into the utilization of β-d-glucans in the rapidly evolving field of nanotechnology, exploring potential applications within this technological realm.

Drought is one of the most important factors that influences plant morphology, biochemistry, and physiology, and finally leads to the decline in crops productivity and seed quality. Climate change, severe changes in water availability together with thermal stresses environment coincide with increasing human population, and to reveal sustainable solutions it is necessary to understand: i) how cereals react to drought, ii) how the tolerance mechanisms are exhibited by the genotype, and iii) which approaches enable to increase the tolerance of crop species against limited water availability. Especially in cereals as in high-quality food sources, it is important to reveal the adaptation mechanisms to rainfall dynamics on arable land and to the prolonged period of drought. This review summarizes current knowledge on the impact of drought on cereals, the mechanisms these crops utilize to cope water scarcity and survive, and the most efficient approaches to improve their drought tolerance.

In human nutrition, oats (Avena sativa L.) are mainly used for their dietary fiber, β-D-glucans and protein content. The content of β-D-glucans in oat grain is 2–7% and is influenced by genetic and/or environmental factors. High levels of this cell walls polysaccharide are observed in naked grains of cultivated oat. It the work, the relationship between the content of β-D-glucans in oat grain and the infection with Fusarium graminearum (FG) and Fusarium culmorum (FC) was analyzed. The hypothesis was that oats with higher content of β-D-glucans are better protected and the manifestation of artificial inoculation with Fusarium strains is weaker. In the 22 oat samples analyzed, the content of β-D-glucans was 0.71–5.06%. In controls, the average content was 2.15% for hulled and 3.25% for naked grains of cultivated oats. After the infection, a decrease was observed in all, naked, hulled and wild oats. As an evidence of lower rate of infection, statistically significant lower percentage of pathogen DNA (0.39%) and less deoxynivalenol (DON) mycotoxin (FC infection 10.66 mg/kg and FG 4.92 mg/kg) were observed in naked grains compared to hulled where the level of pathogen DNA was 2.09% and the average DON level was 21.95 mg/kg (FC) and 5.52 mg/kg (FG).

Adverse environmental conditions, such as various biotic and abiotic stresses, are the primary reason for decreased crop productivity. Oat, as one of the world’s major crops, is an important cereal in human nutrition. The aim of this work was to analyze the effect of inoculation with two species of the genus Fusarium on the selected qualitative parameters of oat grain intended for the food industry. Artificial inoculation caused a statistically significant decrease in the content of starch, oleic, linoleic, and α-linolenic acids in oat grains compared to the control. Moreover, artificial inoculation had no statistically significant effect on the content of β-D-glucans, total dietary fiber, total lipids, palmitic, stearic, and cis-vaccenic acids. An increase in the content of polyunsaturated fatty acids in oat grains was observed after inoculation. The most important indicator of Fusarium infection was the presence of the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol in the grain. The content of β-D-glucans, as a possible protective barrier in the cell wall, did not have a statistically significant effect on the inoculation manifestation in the grain.

Oat is an important natural source of β-D-glucan. This polysaccharide of the cell wall of selected cereals is known for a number of health-promoting effects, such as reducing the level of cholesterol in the blood serum, stabilizing the level of blood glucose, or enhancing immunity. β-D-glucan has positive effects in the plant itself. There is a lack of information available, but the storage capacity of the polysaccharide and its importance as a protective substance in the plant during mild forms of biotic and abiotic stress are described. The accumulation of β-D-glucan during the ontogenetic development of oats (Avena sativa L.) was determined in the present work. Two naked (Valentin, Vaclav) and two hulled (Hronec, Tatran) oat varieties were used. Samples of each plant (root, stem, leaf, panicle) were collected in four stages of the plant’s development (BBCH 13, 30, 55, 71). The average content of the biopolymer was 0.29 ± 0.14% in roots, 0.32 ± 0.11% in stems, 0.48 ± 0.13% in leaves and 1.28 ± 0.79% in panicles, respectively. For root and panicle, in both hulled and naked oat varieties, sampling date was the factor of variability in the content of β-D-glucan. In stems in hulled varieties and leaves in naked varieties, neither the sampling date nor variety influenced the polysaccharide content. The content of β-D-glucan in the leaves of hulled and naked varieties decreased during the first three stages of plant development, but in the stage of milk ripeness the amount increased. The decreasing trend during milk ripeness, was also observed in the roots of both hulled and naked oats. However, in the panicle of hulled and naked oat varieties, the content of β-D-glucan increased during plant growth. Due to practical applications of natural resources of β-D-glucan and isolated β-D-glucan is useful to know the factors influencing its content as well as to ascertain the behavior of the polysaccharide during plant development.

This review consolidates current knowledge on β-D-glucans in Poales and presents current findings and connections that expand our understanding of the characteristics, functions, and applications of this cell wall polysaccharide. By associating information from multiple disciplines, the review offers valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and consumers interested in harnessing the benefits of β-D-glucans in various fields. The review can serve as a valuable resource for plant biology researchers, cereal breeders, and plant-based food producers, providing insights into the potential of β-D-glucans and opening new avenues for future research and innovation in the field of this bioactive and functional ingredient.