Barley composition and barley-blended rice containing said barley composition

Abstract

To provide barley blended rice including a sufficient amount of β-glucan and excellent in a taste.SOLUTION: A barley blended composition includes rice grain barley and uncracked grains of barley, in which β-glucan is contained 7 wt.% or more.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a composition containing barley, and to barley-blended rice and the like containing said barley composition. [Background technology]

[0002] The β-glucan contained in barley is a water-soluble dietary fiber that is known to have effects such as normalizing blood cholesterol levels and suppressing the rise in postprandial blood glucose levels. In addition, the β-glucan contained in barley is known to have effects such as activating the activity of intestinal bacteria and regulating the stomach. Furthermore, the β-glucan contained in barley is known to have the effect of "maintaining a feeling of fullness."

[0003] In 2006, the FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) approved the labeling of "barley beta-glucan has cholesterol-reducing properties and is effective in preventing heart disease" and said that "foods containing 0.75g or more per meal (3g or more per day) reduce the risk of coronary artery disease." In Japan, the Japan Health and Nutrition Food Association, which promotes health food awareness, has evaluated a significant amount of barley beta-glucan as effective in "normalizing cholesterol," "suppressing the rise in blood sugar levels after meals," and "maintaining a feeling of fullness."

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a mixed grain rice containing 50-70% by weight of semi-polished rice, 15-25% by weight of barley, 1-5% by weight of barley, 1-5% by weight of millet, 1-5% by weight of millet, and 5-10% by weight of buckwheat. The mixed grain rice disclosed in Patent Document 1 contains barley, so the above-mentioned effects of barley β-glucan can be expected. However, with the mixed grain rice disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is not possible to ingest 3 g of β-glucan per day unless a large amount is eaten. On the other hand, by increasing the composition ratio of barley in the mixed grain rice, the amount of β-glucan intake per meal can be increased, but there is a problem that the taste is significantly reduced. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-38078 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a barley composition that contains a sufficient amount of β-glucan and can be used to produce barley-blended rice with excellent taste, and to provide barley-blended rice containing the barley composition. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the inventors conducted extensive research and discovered that by using a barley composition that combines rice grain barley and round barley so as to contain the desired amount of barley β-glucan, it is possible to produce barley-blended rice with excellent taste, thus completing the present invention.

[0008] The present invention encompasses the following: (1) A barley composition comprising rice grain barley and round barley, and having a β-glucan content of 7% by weight or more. (2) The barley composition according to (1), characterized in that the barley composition contains 40 to 90% by weight of rice grain barley and 10 to 60% by weight of whole barley. (3) The barley composition according to (1), characterized in that the β-glucan content is 12% by weight or less. (4) Barley-blended rice comprising the barley composition according to any one of (1) to (3) above and rice. (5) Barley-blended rice according to (4), in which the amount of barley-derived β-glucan is 4% by weight or more. (6) Barley-blended rice according to (4), characterized in that the barley composition is contained in an amount of 40 to 60% by weight based on the total weight. (7) The barley-blended rice according to (4), characterized in that the weight ratio of the barley composition to the rice is 4:6 to 6:4. Effect of the Invention

[0009] The barley composition according to the present invention, when blended with rice, contains a desired amount of β-glucan in an amount equivalent to about one meal and has excellent taste. The barley-blended rice according to the present invention contains a desired amount of β-glucan in an amount equivalent to about one meal and has excellent taste. Therefore, the barley composition according to the present invention and the barley-blended rice blended with the barley composition exhibit functionality such as the normalization of cholesterol by barley β-glucan, the suppression of an increase in postprandial blood glucose level, and the maintenance of a feeling of fullness. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The barley composition according to the present invention and the barley-blended rice containing said barley composition will be described in detail below.

[0011] Barley refers to a plant belonging to the genus Hordeum of the family Poaceae, including plants classified under the scientific name Hordeum vulgare. In the present invention, barley is not particularly limited, and two-rowed barley (H. vulgare f. distichon), four-rowed barley (H. vulgare subsp. Vulgare), six-rowed barley (H. vulgare f. hexastichon), naked barley (Hordeum vulgare var. nudum Hook. f.), and wild barley (H. vulgare subsp. Spontaneum) can be used.

[0012] In addition, existing varieties of barley can be used without being limited. For example, existing varieties of barley include Daikinboshi, Haruakane, Yukihana Rokujo, Shirayuri Nijo, Mochi Shizuka, Fukumi Fiber, Sachikaze, Kihada Mochi, Kusumochi Nijo, Nagasaki Mishima, Haneumamochi, Waxy Fiber, Yukimi Rokujo, Haruka Nijo, Haruhimeboshi, Kashima Goal, Harushirane, View Fiber, Kirarimochi, Shirotae Nijo, Yumesakiboshi, Koharu Nijo, Kira Nijo, Kirinijo, Toyonokaze, Sayakaze, Shinjuboshi, Nishinohoshi, Naked Barley Intermediate Mother No. 2 and Daishimochi.

[0013] Furthermore, barley can be used without being limited to existing breeding lines. For example, barley breeding lines include Kanto 93, Kanto 92, Shikoku Hadaka 119, Shikoku Hadaka 118 2008, Shikoku Hadaka 117, Saikai Hadaka 68, Saikai Hadaka 67, Tohoku Hadaka 41, Tohoku Hadaka 40, Kanto Hadaka 90, Kanto Hadaka 89, Hokuriku Hadaka 46, Shikoku Hadaka 116, Shikoku Hadaka 115, Shikoku Hadaka 114, Saikai Hadaka 66, Kanto Hadaka 87, Hokuriku Hadaka 45, Hokuriku Hadaka 44, Saikai Hadaka 65, Kanto Hadaka 85, Hokuriku Hadaka 43, Shikoku Hadaka 113, Shikoku Hadaka 112, Saikai Hadaka 64, Tohoku Hadaka 39, Kanto Hadaka 84, Hokuriku Hadaka 42, Shikoku Hadaka 111, Shikoku Hadaka 110, and the like.

[0014] Among them, in the present invention, it is preferable to use varieties and breeding lines with high β-glucan content. Examples of varieties and breeding lines with high β-glucan content include Kusumochi Nijo, Haneumamochi, Waxy Fiber, View Fiber, Kirarimochi, Daishimochi, Azhul, Jao, Jau, Oowa, Shonkin, Tsema, Wanubet, CDC-Alamo, CDC-Fibar, STWB-1, Shikei 9519, and Kankei n574 (old lineage name: Tanikei QM-1). The amount of β-glucan is not particularly limited, but can be measured by crushing unpolished barley to a particle size of about 0.5 mm or less using a crusher and using a commercially available kit (Mixed Linkage β-glucan Assay Kit, Megazyme Inc.).

[0015] The barley composition according to the present invention contains the above-mentioned rice grain barley and round barley. The rice grain barley is barley in the shape of a rice grain, which is obtained by splitting a barley grain along the black stripe and polishing it as necessary. The round barley is barley from which the barley husk has been removed and which has been polished as necessary. In the barley composition, the total amount of β-glucan contained in the rice grain barley and round barley is 7% by weight or more. The amount of β-glucan in the barley composition is 7% by weight or more, but can be set in the range of 7 to 12% by weight.

[0016] The amount of β-glucan in the barley composition can be appropriately adjusted depending on the amount of β-glucan contained in the barley variety or breeding line used. For example, according to the reference: Takuji Tonooka et al., Breeding Science Research, 20, pp. 144-150, the β-glucan content of STWB-1 is 8.4% by weight, the β-glucan content of CDC-Alamo is 7.5% by weight, the β-glucan content of CDC-Fibar is 10.7% by weight, the β-glucan content of Azhul is 9.2% by weight, the β-glucan content of Tsema is 6.7% by weight, and the β-glucan content of Viewfiber is 11.9% by weight. The β-glucan content of Kanto Hadaka Mochi No. 94 is 12.8% by weight, the β-glucan content of Kankei N574 is 17.5% by weight, the β-glucan content of Shikei 9519 is 10.6% by weight, the β-glucan content of Kirarimochi is 7.5% by weight, the β-glucan content of Mochiriboshi is 8.3% by weight, the β-glucan content of Nishinohoshi is 4.1% by weight, and the β-glucan content of Yumesakiboshi is 4.1% by weight (all values ​​were measured after polishing).

[0017] The barley composition of the present invention can have a total β-glucan content of 7% by weight or more, preferably in the range of 7 to 12% by weight, since the β-glucan content of the barley variety or breeding line used is known or can be measured by the above-mentioned method.

[0018] Furthermore, since the barley composition according to the present invention contains the above-mentioned rice grain barley and round barley, it can be blended with rice to produce a barley blended rice with excellent taste. In particular, when the total weight of the rice grain barley and round barley is 100% by weight, the barley composition according to the present invention can have an even better taste by containing 40 to 90% by weight of rice grain barley and 10 to 60% by weight of round barley.

[0019] Furthermore, the barley composition according to the present invention can be blended with rice to produce barley-blended rice. Here, the barley-blended rice refers to a composition containing at least rice and the above-mentioned barley composition. In other words, the barley-blended rice can be rephrased as a rice composition, a barley composition, or a rice-barley composition. Here, the rice may be any of non-glutinous rice (including no-rinse rice), glutinous rice, polished rice, semi-polished rice, and brown rice.

[0020] According to the present invention, the barley blended rice can be consumed in a desired amount of barley β-glucan in an amount equivalent to one normal meal. The amount equivalent to one normal meal can be 150 to 200 g, preferably 160 to 200 g, more preferably 180 to 200 g, of cooked rice. By consuming the barley blended rice in this range, the desired amount of barley β-glucan, for example 3.0 g of barley β-glucan, can be consumed.

[0021] The barley-blended rice according to the present invention is preferably a mixture of the barley composition and rice in a weight ratio of 4: 6 to 6: 4. By mixing the barley composition and rice in this range, a desired amount of barley β-glucan can be ingested in an amount equivalent to a normal meal, and excellent taste can be achieved.

[0022] In addition, the barley-blended rice according to the present invention is preferably one in which the barley composition is blended in the range of 40 to 60% by weight based on the total weight. By blending the barley composition in this range, a desired amount of barley β-glucan can be ingested in an amount equivalent to a normal meal, and excellent taste can be achieved. In this case, the barley-blended rice according to the present invention mainly contains rice in addition to the barley composition, but can also contain grains such as foxtail millet, barnyard millet, black rice, red rice, black beans (soybeans), red beans, glutinous millet, glutinous millet, sorghum millet, barnyard millet, amaranth, quinoa, pearl barley, corn, black sesame, and white sesame.

[0023] The barley-blended rice according to the present invention allows the intake of about 3.0 g or more of barley β-glucan in an amount equivalent to one normal meal. When about 3.0 g or more of barley β-glucan can be taken per day, effects such as "reducing the risk of coronary artery disease," "normalizing cholesterol," "suppressing the rise in postprandial blood glucose levels," and "maintaining a feeling of fullness" can be expected. EXAMPLES

[0024] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0025] Example 1 In this example, a barley composition with a specified blending ratio of rice grain barley (β-glucan content: 9.6% by weight) and round barley (β-glucan content: 6.6% by weight) was blended with white rice (Kirara 397 pre-washed rice) in a specified ratio to prepare barley blended rice. The cooked barley blended rice was then consumed by more than 12 evaluators and the taste was evaluated. The taste of the cooked rice blended with 50% rice grain barley and 50% white rice was evaluated on a 5-point scale, with a rating of "3". The results are shown in Table 1.

[0026] [Table 1]

[0027] As shown in Table 1, it was revealed that a barley composition containing 40-90% by weight of rice grain barley and 10-60% by weight of round barley exhibits excellent taste when the barley composition is mixed at 40-60% by weight and rice at 60-40% by weight. In contrast, when only rice grain barley is mixed with rice, it was revealed that the taste is significantly reduced when the rice grain barley is 60% by weight and the rice is 40% by weight. It was also revealed that when the proportion of round barley in the barley composition is higher than 60% by weight (for example, 70% by weight), the taste is significantly reduced. The amount of β-glucan contained in each barley composition is as shown in Table 2.

[0028] [Table 2]

[0029] As shown in Table 2, the barley composition produced in this embodiment, in which the rice grain barley is in the range of 40 to 90% by weight and the round barley is in the range of 10 to 60% by weight, contains 7.0% or more by weight of β-glucan. Therefore, barley-blended rice, in which these barley compositions are blended at 40 to 60% by weight and rice is in the range of 60 to 40% by weight, contains 3.0 g or more of β-glucan per 150 to 200 g of cooked rice equivalent to one meal. Therefore, the barley composition produced in this embodiment, in which the rice grain barley is in the range of 40 to 90% by weight and the round barley is in the range of 10 to 60% by weight, can be a barley-blended rice having functions such as "reducing the risk of coronary artery disease," "normalizing cholesterol," "suppressing the rise in postprandial blood glucose level," and "maintaining a feeling of fullness."

Claims

1. A barley composition comprising 40-90% by weight of rice grain barley and 10-60% by weight of round barley, and having a β-glucan content of 7-12% by weight.

2. 2. A barley-blended rice comprising the barley composition according to claim 1 and rice, the barley-blended rice comprising the barley composition in an amount of 40 to 60% by weight based on the total weight of the barley-blended rice.

3. 3. The barley-blended rice according to claim 2, wherein the amount of barley-derived β-glucan is 4% by weight or more.

4. 3. The barley-blended rice according to claim 2, characterized in that the weight ratio of the barley composition to the rice is 4:6 to 6:4.

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