Barley and related methods

Abstract

To provide barley that can effectively reduce the time and cost required for its malting process, and to provide a method relating to the same.SOLUTION: In a barley seed, the malt obtained by germination under conditions that the degree of soaking at the start of the germination is within the range of 43.5 wt.% or more and 44.5 wt.% or less, the germination temperature is 15°C, and the germination time is 40.5 hours or more and 45.0 hours or less has at least one of the following characteristics (1) to (3): (1) a soluble nitrogen content of 0.70 wt.% or more; (2) a Kolbach index of 43.0 wt.% or more; and (3) a β-glucan content of 440 mg / L or less.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to barley and methods relating thereto. [Background Art]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a method for producing malt for use in malt alcoholic beverages, characterized in that in the roasting step of drying green malt, the absolute humidity of the blown warm air is set to 0.010 kg / kg or less, or the air volume of the blown warm air is set to 4500 cubic meters / hour or more per ton of malt, and the temperature of the blown warm air is set to 40°C or lower during at least 1 / 3 or more of the process period of the initial roasting step. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-102690 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] On the other hand, the inventors of the present invention have studied technical means for reducing the time and cost required for conventional malting processes.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and one of its objects is to provide barley and a method relating thereto that can effectively reduce the time and cost required for the malting process. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] Barley seeds according to one embodiment of the present invention to solve the above problems are obtained by germinating barley seeds under the following conditions: the degree of immersion at the start of germination is in the range of 43.5% by weight or more and 44.5% by weight or less, the germination temperature is 15°C, and the germination time is in the range of 40.5 hours or more and 45.0 hours or less, and the resulting malt has at least one of the following characteristics (1) to (3): (1) a soluble nitrogen content of 0.70% by weight or more; (2) a Kolbach index of 43.0% by weight or more; and (3) a β-glucan content of 440 mg / L or less. According to the present invention, barley seeds are provided that can effectively reduce the time and cost required for the malting process.

[0007] The barley seeds may have malt that possesses characteristic (1). The barley seeds may also have malt that possesses characteristic (2). The barley seeds may also have malt that possesses characteristic (3).

[0008] The barley seeds may also have malt that, instead of characteristic (2), has a Kolbach index of 30.0% by weight or more. Alternatively, the barley seeds may also have malt that, instead of characteristic (3), has a β-glucan content of 1000 mg / L or less.

[0009] The barley seeds may have DNA containing the base sequence identified in Sequence ID No. 1. Alternatively, the barley seeds may be malt.

[0010] A barley seed according to one embodiment of the present invention, which solves the above problems, has DNA containing the base sequence identified by Sequence ID No. 1. According to the present invention, a barley seed is provided that can effectively reduce the time and cost required for the malting process.

[0011] A barley plant according to one embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems has any of the aforementioned barley seeds. According to the present invention, a barley plant containing barley seeds is provided that can effectively reduce the time and cost required for the malting process.

[0012] A method for producing malt according to one embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems includes germinating any of the aforementioned barley seeds. According to the present invention, a method for producing barley seed malt is provided that can effectively reduce the time and cost required for the malting process.

[0013] A method for producing a beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems uses raw materials containing any of the aforementioned barley seeds. According to the present invention, a method for producing a beverage using barley seeds is provided that can effectively reduce the time and cost required for the malting process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The present invention provides barley and a method related thereto that can effectively reduce the time and cost required for the malting process. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1A] This is an explanatory diagram showing the base sequence contained in the DNA of barley seeds related to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 1B] This is an explanatory diagram showing a portion of the base sequence contained in the barley variety Morex, corresponding to the base sequence shown in Figure 1A. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing the results of DNA marker analysis performed in an embodiment of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing the results of evaluating the properties of malt in an embodiment of one present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] One embodiment of the present invention is described below. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

[0017] The barley seed according to the present embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "the present barley seed") is such that malt obtained by germination under the following conditions: a water content at the start of germination in the range of 43.5% by weight to 44.5% by weight, a germination temperature of 15°C, and a germination time in the range of 40.5 hours to 45.0 hours, has at least one of the following properties (1) to (3): (1) a soluble nitrogen content of 0.70% by weight or more; (2) a Kolbach index of 43.0% by weight or more; (3) a β-glucan content of 440 mg / L or less.

[0018] That is, the present barley seed is a barley seed that becomes malt having at least one of the above properties (1) to (3) when germinated under the specific conditions (hereinafter referred to as "specific germination conditions"): a water content at the start of germination in the range of 43.5% by weight to 44.5% by weight, a germination temperature of 15°C, and a germination time in the range of 40.5 hours to 45.0 hours.

[0019] Here, a method for producing barley malt (malting method) generally includes: a steeping step of subjecting ungerminated barley seeds to a steeping treatment to obtain barley seeds having a water content falling within a desired range; and a germination step of germinating the steeped barley seeds to obtain malt.

[0020] That is, first, in the steeping step, barley seeds having a water content suitable for subsequent germination are prepared. The water content is the moisture content of the barley seeds, calculated by the following formula: water content (% by weight) = (weight after steeping treatment - weight before steeping treatment + moisture weight before steeping treatment) ÷ weight after steeping treatment × 100.

[0021] Specifically, for example, the operation of soaking barley seeds in water at a temperature in the range of 12°C to 18°C for 5 hours to 8 hours, then draining the water and holding the barley seeds in the atmosphere for 5 hours to 8 hours (water filling / draining) is repeated until the target water content is achieved.

[0022] Next, in the germination process, barley seeds having the desired degree of soaking are placed in an environment suitable for germination and allowed to germinate. Specifically, for example, the barley seeds obtained in the soaking process are placed on a mesh and kept in place while humid air (preferably air with 100% humidity) at a temperature within the range of 14°C to 18°C ​​is supplied to germinate the barley seeds.

[0023] During the germination process, a change called "dissolution" occurs in which storage substances (mainly proteins and polysaccharides) contained in barley seeds are broken down into smaller molecules by the action of digestive enzymes (mainly proteolytic enzymes and polysaccharide-degrading enzymes) contained in the barley seeds.

[0024] In this regard, for example, malt, which is preferably used in the production of beer-flavored beverages, needs to contain a sufficient amount of amino acids and sugars (mainly monosaccharides and disaccharides) for yeast to assimilate during alcoholic fermentation. Therefore, in conventional germination processes, barley seeds had to be germinated for more than four days.

[0025] In contrast, as mentioned above, this barley seed has a unique characteristic not found in conventional barley seeds: it can produce malt that has undergone the "dissolution" process as shown in characteristics (1) to (3) above, through a short germination time of 40.5 hours or more and 45.0 hours or less, which is not used in conventional germination processes. Therefore, by using this barley seed, the time and cost required for the germination process in malting can be effectively reduced.

[0026] In this embodiment, the germination time is the time during which the barley seeds, after soaking, are held at a temperature suitable for germination. Specifically, the germination time under specific germination conditions is the time during which barley seeds, whose soaking degree has reached a range of 43.5% by weight or more and 44.5% by weight or less, are held at 15°C for germination. Note that the soaking degree of 43.5% by weight or more and 44.5% by weight or less is the moisture content at the start of germination under specific germination conditions, and the moisture content during the subsequent germination process may vary.

[0027] The malt obtained by germinating the barley seeds under the above-mentioned specific germination conditions (hereinafter referred to as "specific malt") has, for example, the above-mentioned characteristic (1), a soluble nitrogen (SN) content of 0.70% by weight or more.

[0028] The SN content of the specific malt of this barley seed, as described above, is preferably 0.75% by weight or more, more preferably 0.80% by weight or more, more preferably 0.85% by weight or more, more preferably 0.90% by weight or more, more preferably 0.95% by weight or more, more preferably 1.00% by weight or more, and particularly preferably 1.10% by weight or more.

[0029] Furthermore, the SN content of the specific malt of this barley seed, as described in the above characteristic (1), may be 2.00% by weight or less, preferably 1.80% by weight or less, and particularly preferably 1.60% by weight or less. The SN content of the specific malt of this barley seed, as described in the above characteristic (1), may be determined by arbitrarily combining any of the lower limits and any of the upper limits described above.

[0030] The SN content of malt is expressed as the amount of nitrogen equivalent obtained by breaking down proteins into amino acids and solubilizing them during malting, and is measured by the method described in "4.3.5 Soluble Total Nitrogen (IM)" of "4.3 Congress Wort" in the literature "Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods 2013 Supplementary and Revised Edition (Edited by: International Technical Committee (Analysis Committee) of the Beer Brewers Association, Published by: Japan Brewing Association)".

[0031] The specific malt of this barley seed has, for example, a Kolbach Index (KI) of 43.0% by weight or more as characteristic (2) above. The KI as characteristic (2) of the specific malt of this barley seed is preferably 43.5% by weight or more, more preferably 44.0% by weight or more, more preferably 45.0% by weight or more, more preferably 46.0% by weight or more, more preferably 47.0% by weight or more, more preferably 48.0% by weight or more, more preferably 49.0% by weight or more, more preferably 50.0% by weight or more, and particularly preferably 51.0% by weight or more.

[0032] Furthermore, the KI of the specific malt of this barley seed, as described in the above characteristic (2), may be, for example, 80% by weight or less, preferably 75% by weight or less, and particularly preferably 70% by weight or less. The KI of the specific malt of this barley seed, as described in the above characteristic (2), may be determined by arbitrarily combining any of the lower limits and any of the upper limits described above.

[0033] The KI of malt is the ratio of SN content to total nitrogen content of malt, and is measured by the method described in "4.3.5 Soluble Total Nitrogen (IM)" of "4.3 Congress Wort" in the literature "Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods 2013 Supplementary and Revised Edition (Edited by: International Technical Committee (Analysis Committee) of the Beer Brewers Association, Published by: Japan Brewing Association)".

[0034] The specific malt of this barley seed has, for example, a β-glucan content of 440 mg / L or less as described in characteristic (3) above. The β-glucan content of the specific malt of this barley seed as described in characteristic (3) above is preferably 420 mg / L or less, more preferably 400 mg / L or less, more preferably 380 mg / L or less, more preferably 360 mg / L or less, more preferably 340 mg / L or less, more preferably 320 mg / L or less, more preferably 300 mg / L or less, and particularly preferably 280 mg / L or less.

[0035] The β-glucan content of malt is measured by the method described in the literature "Analytica-EBC Section 8 Wort Method 8.13.2 (October 2004), published by EBC Analysis Committee".

[0036] The specific malt of this barley seed has at least one of the above characteristics (1) to (3). That is, the specific malt of this barley seed may have, for example, characteristic (1). In this case, the specific malt of this barley seed may further have characteristics (2) and / or (3), or may not have characteristics (2) and / or (3).

[0037] Similarly, if the specific malt of this barley seed has characteristic (2) above, the specific malt may also have characteristics (1) and / or (3) above, or it may not have characteristics (1) and / or (3) above. Similarly, if the specific malt of this barley seed has characteristic (3) above, the specific malt may also have characteristics (1) and / or (2) above, or it may not have characteristics (1) and / or (2) above. Furthermore, the specific malt of this barley seed may have all of characteristics (1) to (3) above.

[0038] If the specific malt of the barley seeds has the above characteristics (1) and / or (3), the specific malt may have 30.0% by weight or more of KI instead of characteristic (2). In this case, the KI of the specific malt of the barley seeds is preferably 32.0% by weight or more, more preferably 34.0% by weight or more, more preferably 36.0% by weight or more, more preferably 38.0% by weight or more, more preferably 39.0% by weight or more, more preferably 40.0% by weight or more, more preferably 41.0% by weight or more, and particularly preferably 42.0% by weight or more.

[0039] If the specific malt of the barley seeds has the above characteristics (1) and / or (2), the specific malt may have a β-glucan content of 1000 mg / L or less instead of the above characteristic (3). In this case, the β-glucan content of the specific malt of the barley seeds is preferably, for example, 900 mg / L or less, more preferably 800 mg / L or less, more preferably 700 mg / L or less, more preferably 600 mg / L or less, more preferably 550 mg / L or less, more preferably 500 mg / L or less, and particularly preferably 450 mg / L or less.

[0040] The barley seeds may have DNA containing the base sequence identified by Sequence ID No. 1. The base sequence identified by Sequence ID No. 1 (hereinafter referred to as "Specific Base Sequence 1") is a base sequence identified by the inventors of the present invention as a DNA marker unique to the barley seeds having the characteristics described above. In other words, in this case, the DNA of the barley seeds contains Specific Base Sequence 1 as a DNA marker.

[0041] Figure 1A shows specific base sequence 1. This specific base sequence 1 is a base sequence that constitutes a polynucleotide fragment amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the genomic DNA of this barley seed as a template, with a primer having the base sequence identified by Sequence ID No. 3 (corresponding to the underlined base sequence portion in Figure 1A, "5'-CACGGTGCTTTTATTGTGGACATTACGAGC-3'") and a primer having the base sequence identified by Sequence ID No. 4 (the reverse complementary sequence of the underlined base sequence portion in Figure 1A, "5'-ATGACCTTGAACGGCCACAGTTTCGTGTCG-3'").

[0042] Furthermore, specific base sequence 1 is the base sequence portion consisting of 520 bases from position 305 to 824 of the base sequence identified by sequence number 2 (hereinafter referred to as "specific base sequence 2"), in which the base C at position 578 is replaced with T.

[0043] Here, specific base sequence 2 is a 5868-base sequence located at base numbers 379025542 to 379031409 on chromosome 3 of the barley variety Morex, and is known by the name "morex_conting_137831".

[0044] Figure 1B shows the nucleotide sequence portion of specific nucleotide sequence 2, consisting of 2640 bases from the 1st to the 2640th base. In Figure 1B, the portion corresponding to the nucleotide sequence identified by SEQ ID NO: 3 and the portion corresponding to the nucleotide sequence identified by SEQ ID NO: 4 are underlined, respectively. In Figure 1B, the 578th base C of specific nucleotide sequence 2 is enclosed in a rectangle. In contrast, in Figure 1A, the base T obtained by substituting the 578th base C shown in Figure 1B is enclosed in a rectangle.

[0045] In other words, the DNA of this barley seed contains a mutation in which the 578th base C in specific base sequence 2 is replaced with T. Therefore, the DNA of this barley seed may also contain a base sequence (5868 bases) in which the 578th base C in specific base sequence 2 is replaced with T, as a DNA marker.

[0046] Whether barley seed DNA contains specific base sequence 1 can be confirmed by employing known methods as appropriate. For example, one can use genomic DNA extracted from the barley seed as a template and perform PCR using a forward primer having the base sequence specified by SEQ ID NO: 3 (for example, a primer consisting of the base sequence 5'-CACGGTGCTTTTATTGTGGACATTACGAGC-3' corresponding to the base sequence specified by SEQ ID NO: 3) and a reverse primer having the base sequence specified by SEQ ID NO: 4 (for example, a primer consisting of the base sequence 5'-ATGACCTTGAACGGCCACAGTTTCGTGTCG-3' corresponding to the base sequence specified by SEQ ID NO: 4), and then perform sequencing analysis on the DNA fragment amplified by the PCR.

[0047] These barley seeds may be barley seeds that have not yet germinated, It is malt. This may also be done. In this case, for example, as described above, barley seeds that have not germinated are subjected to a soaking treatment, and the barley seeds that have reached a desired degree of soaking are germinated to obtain barley seeds that are malt. Note that barley seeds that are malt are not limited to the specific germination conditions described above, and are preferably produced by, for example, the malt production method described later.

[0048] The barley plant according to this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "this barley plant") includes this barley seed. This barley plant may be two-row barley or six-row barley. Furthermore, this barley plant may be hulled barley or hulless barley. This barley plant may be a hybrid progeny line obtained by crossing a barley plant containing this barley seed having the above-described characteristics with another barley variety and selecting seeds that have the above-described characteristics.

[0049] The method according to this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as "this method") may be, for example, a method for producing malt that includes germinating barley seeds. In this case, this method includes a soaking step of applying a soaking treatment to ungerminated barley seeds, and a germination step of germinating the soaked barley seeds to obtain malt.

[0050] The degree of soaking of the barley seeds obtained in the soaking process can be adjusted as appropriate within a desired range, for example, it may be in the range of 20% by weight or more and 70% by weight or less, preferably in the range of 30% by weight or more and 60% by weight or less, and particularly preferably in the range of 40% by weight or more and 45% by weight or less.

[0051] The soaking process in the barley soaking step is not particularly limited as long as the desired degree of soaking is achieved, but it may include, for example, repeatedly soaking the barley seeds in water and then holding the barley seeds in the air (filling and draining the water).

[0052] Specifically, the soaking treatment may involve soaking the barley seeds in water at a temperature between 12°C and 18°C ​​for 5 hours to 10 hours, and then holding the barley seeds in the air for 5 hours to 10 hours, repeating this process until the desired degree of soaking is achieved.

[0053] The germination conditions in the germination process can be adjusted as appropriate to obtain the desired malt. For example, the germination temperature (specifically, the air temperature during germination) may be in the range of 10°C to 25°C, preferably in the range of 12°C to 22°C, and particularly preferably in the range of 14°C to 18°C.

[0054] Furthermore, the germination time in the germination process may be, for example, within the range of 12 hours or more and 72 hours or less, within the range of 16 hours or more and 72 hours or less, within the range of 20 hours or more and 72 hours or less, within the range of 24 hours or more and 70 hours or less, within the range of 24 hours or more and 68 hours or less, within the range of 24 hours or more and 66 hours or less, within the range of 24 hours or more and 64 hours or less, within the range of 24 hours or more and 62 hours or less, within the range of 24 hours or more and 60 hours or less, within the range of 24 hours or more and 58 hours or less, within the range of 24 hours or more and 56 hours or less, within the range of 24 hours or more and 54 hours or less, within the range of 24 hours or more and 50 hours or less, or within the range of 24 hours or more and 48 hours or less.

[0055] As mentioned above, these barley seeds can effectively undergo "dissolution" even with a short germination time of 40.5 hours or more and 45.0 hours or less. Shortening the germination time effectively reduces the time and cost required for malt production.

[0056] The method for producing malt may further include a drying process in which the malt obtained in the germination process is subjected to a drying process. The drying process is, for example, a process in which the malt is held at a temperature in the range of 50°C to 95°C for a period of time in the range of 20 hours to 40 hours.

[0057] This method may also be a method for producing a beverage using raw materials containing the barley seeds. In this case, the method includes, for example, preparing a raw material liquid using raw materials containing the barley seeds, and obtaining a beverage using the raw material liquid. In preparing the raw material liquid, the raw materials containing the barley seeds are mixed with water.

[0058] The barley seeds may be ungerminated barley seeds, germinated malt, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, the raw materials of the liquid may contain ingredients other than the barley seeds. That is, the raw materials may further contain, for example, barley seeds other than the barley seeds (these barley seeds other than the barley seeds may be ungerminated barley seeds, germinated malt, or a combination thereof), and / or ingredients used as adjuncts in beer production.

[0059] The preparation of the raw material solution may include heating the mixture obtained by mixing the raw material containing the barley seeds with water. In this case, the mixture containing the barley seeds Saccharification The raw material solution may be prepared by the following procedure. Saccharification is carried out by heating the raw material solution, which contains polysaccharides and proteins (for example, polysaccharides and proteins derived from the barley seeds) and digestive enzymes (for example, polysaccharide-degrading enzymes and / or protein-degrading enzymes derived from the barley seeds), to a temperature at which the digestive enzymes are active (for example, 30°C or higher and 80°C or lower). The digestive enzymes may be added externally.

[0060] Furthermore, the preparation of the raw material liquid involves a mixture containing the barley seeds. boiling This may include adding hops to the mixture containing the barley seeds and boiling it. Alternatively, hops may be added and boiled after saccharification. The hops are preferably one or more selected from the group consisting of, for example, hop pellets, hop powder, pressed hops, fresh hops, hop extract, isopropyl hops, raw hops, tetrahops, and hexahops.

[0061] The method for producing the beverage may include alcoholic fermentation. In this case, yeast is added to the raw material liquid, and alcoholic fermentation is carried out by the yeast. That is, a fermentation liquid is prepared by adding yeast to the raw material liquid, and alcoholic fermentation of the fermentation liquid is carried out by holding the fermentation liquid at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time.

[0062] The yeast added to the raw material liquid is not particularly limited as long as it is a live yeast that performs alcoholic fermentation, but it is preferable that it be one or more selected from the group consisting of, for example, beer yeast, wine yeast, shochu yeast, and sake yeast. The yeast density in the raw material liquid at the start of alcoholic fermentation is, for example, 1 × 10⁻⁶. 6 pcs / mL or more, 3×10 9 It is preferable that the number of particles / mL or less is 1 / mL or less.

[0063] The temperature at which alcoholic fermentation takes place may be, for example, 30°C or lower (for example, above 0°C and below 30°C), 25°C or lower, preferably 20°C or lower, and particularly preferably 15°C or lower. The duration of alcoholic fermentation may be, for example, 1 day or more and 14 days or less.

[0064] Furthermore, the beverage may be manufactured without alcoholic fermentation. In this case, for example, the raw material liquid is mixed with other components to obtain the beverage. The other components to be mixed with the raw material liquid are not particularly limited, but it is preferable that they be one or more selected from the group consisting of sugars, dietary fiber, colorants, flavorings, acidulants, sweeteners, bittering agents, and alcohol (e.g., ethanol).

[0065] The beverage produced by this method is not particularly limited, but it is preferably a beer-flavored beverage. A beer-flavored beverage is a beverage that has a beer-like aroma and flavor. A beer-flavored beverage is not particularly limited as long as it has a beer-like aroma and flavor, regardless of the conditions during its production (e.g., whether or not hops are used, whether or not alcoholic fermentation is performed, etc.).

[0066] The beverage may be an alcoholic beverage. An alcoholic beverage is a beverage with an alcohol content of 1% by volume or more (1 degree of alcohol or more). The alcohol content of an alcoholic beverage is not particularly limited as long as it is 1% by volume or more, but for example, it may be between 1% by volume and 20% by volume. When producing an alcoholic beverage without alcoholic fermentation, for example, the alcoholic beverage can be obtained by adding an alcohol-containing composition such as ethanol, spirits, or fermentation liquid to the raw material liquid.

[0067] The beverage may be a non-alcoholic beverage. A non-alcoholic beverage is a beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1% by volume. The alcohol content of a non-alcoholic beverage is not particularly limited as long as it is less than 1% by volume, but may be, for example, less than 0.5% by volume, less than 0.05% by volume, or less than 0.005% by volume. In addition, when alcoholic fermentation is performed in the manufacture of a non-alcoholic beverage, a non-alcoholic beverage can be obtained by, for example, subjecting the fermented liquid after alcoholic fermentation to a treatment that reduces the alcohol content.

[0068] The beverage may be a carbonated beverage. A carbonated beverage is a beverage that has foaming properties and foam retention properties. When producing a carbonated beverage without alcoholic fermentation, for example, the beverage can be imparted with effervescence by one or more methods selected from the group consisting of blowing in carbon dioxide and using carbonated water.

[0069] Next, specific examples of this embodiment will be described. [Examples]

[0070] [Preparing the barley] We prepared nine varieties of two-row hulled barley. First, we obtained commercially available barley varieties "Planet," "Copeland," and "Xena." We also prepared barley "A," which is available from Sapporo Breweries Ltd.

[0071] Meanwhile, five types of barley were created (hereinafter referred to as barley "B", barley "C", barley "D", barley "E", and barley "F", respectively). Specifically, barley "B" was first created as follows.

[0072] Specifically, a line possessing only rym1 was selected from the progeny lines of a cross between the known two-row barley "Kou A" and the known six-row barley "Kikouishi 3," which has barley mosaic disease resistance genes (rym1 and rmy5). This line was then backcrossed five times with the known two-row barley "Haruna Nijou," resulting in the development of "Nitta-kei 68 (N68)," a two-row barley with the genetic background of "Haruna Nijou" but possessing the barley mosaic disease resistance gene (rym1).

[0073] Next, the barley variety "N68" was subjected to a treatment to induce mutation. The mutation induction was carried out using common methods described in publicly available literature (e.g., Reference 1: Molina-Cano et al. (1989) Theor. Appl. Genet. 78:748-754, Reference 2: Olsen et al. (1993) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci, USA 90:8043-8047).

[0074] Specifically, barley seeds of variety "N68" were immersed in a sodium azide solution (phosphate buffer, pH 3.0) and treated with a mutagen for 3 hours while being stirred with a stirrer. Next, the seeds were washed with water six times, thoroughly drained, and dried in a fume hood with airflow. Subsequently, the seeds were propagated through self-pollination to create multiple mutant lines. Furthermore, from among the multiple mutant lines, barley "B" was selected, which had a lower β-glucan content in its seeds compared to the parent line "N68".

[0075] Malt analysis was performed on barley varieties "N68" and "B". Malting was carried out by soaking the barley to a degree of 43.5% by weight, with a germination time of 120 to 144 hours. Malt analysis results showed that barley "B" tended to have a lower β-glucan content at all degrees of soaking. Furthermore, barley "B" showed a significantly higher tendency in extract, SN content, and color compared to the other varieties.

[0076] Subsequently, using barley "B", barley "C", barley "D", barley "E", and barley "F" were produced as follows: The glumes of barley "A" or "Xena" were emasculated and cross-pollinated with pollen from barley "B". From the resulting F1 seeds, generations were advanced using the SSD (Single Seed Descent) method to create a stable line. The seeds of the stable line were malted as described above, and by malt analysis, barley "C", barley "D", barley "E", and barley "F" were selected as lines that were considered to have similar characteristics to barley "B".

[0077] [Checking DNA markers] We analyzed DNA markers associated with the SN content of nine barley varieties. As a result, as shown in Figure 2, a t-test confirmed that the SN content of five barley varieties containing DNA with specific base sequence 1 (shown as "+" types in black in Figure 2: including barley "E" and barley "F") was statistically significantly higher than that of the four barley varieties not containing this specific base sequence 1 (shown as "-" types in white in Figure 2). In other words, the usefulness of specific base sequence 1 as a DNA marker was confirmed.

[0078] [Malt production] Malt was produced from each of the nine types of barley prepared as described above, using a commercially available micro-malting machine (manufactured by Phoenix, Australia). Specifically, the barley was first subjected to a malting treatment. By repeatedly immersing the barley in 15°C water for 5 to 7 hours, and then holding the barley in 15°C air for 5 to 7 hours, barley with a malting degree of 43.5% to 44.3% by weight was obtained.

[0079] Next, the barley that had been soaked was subjected to a germination treatment. Specifically, the temperature of the germination chamber was set to 15°C, and the barley was germinated for 40.9 to 44.6 hours. Humidification was performed until one hour before the start of drying, and no humidification was performed for the hour immediately before drying. After that, the obtained malt was subjected to a drying treatment. Specifically, the malt was dried by heating it at 55°C for 13.5 hours, 65°C for 8 hours, 75°C for 3.5 hours, and 83.5°C for 4 hours, while gradually increasing the temperature. In this way, nine types of malt were produced. The SN content, KI, and β-glucan content were then measured for each type of malt.

[0080] [result] Figure 3 shows the results of measuring the SN content (weight %), KI (weight %), and β-glucan content (mg / L) of the malt for nine types of barley. In Figure 3, the "DNA marker" column indicates "+" if the barley DNA contains specific base sequence 1 (the base sequence identified by Sequence ID No. 1) (Examples 5 to 9), and "-" if it does not (Examples 1 to 4).

[0081] As shown in Figure 3, the SN content of the malt for the five varieties in Examples 5 to 9, barley "B", barley "C", barley "D", barley "E", and barley "F", was 0.76 to 1.17% by weight, which was significantly higher than that of the malt for the four varieties in Examples 1 to 4, "Planet", "Copeland", "Xena", and barley "A" (0.53 to 0.68% by weight).

[0082] In other words, it was confirmed that the five types of barley shown in Examples 5 to 9 possess the unprecedented characteristic of producing malt with a high SN content by simply subjecting them to an extremely short germination treatment of 40.9 to 44.6 hours.

[0083] Furthermore, the KI of the malt for the five types in Examples 5 to 9—barley "B," barley "C," barley "D," barley "E," and barley "F"—rang from 39.9% to 53.8% by weight. In particular, the KI of the three types in Examples 5, 6, and 9—barley "B," barley "C," and barley "F"—rang from 43.5% to 53.8% by weight, which was significantly higher than that of the four types in Examples 1 to 4.

[0084] Furthermore, the β-glucan content of the malt from the five varieties in Examples 5 to 9—barley "B," barley "C," barley "D," barley "E," and barley "F"—rang from 251 to 567 mg / L. In particular, the β-glucan content of the two varieties in Examples 5 and 6—barley "B" and barley "C"—rang from 251 to 274 mg / L, which was significantly lower than that of the four varieties in Examples 1 to 4.

Claims

1. Having DNA containing the base sequence identified by Sequence ID No. 1, Malt obtained by germinating under the following conditions: a malting degree at the start of germination is within the range of 43.5% by weight or more and 44.5% by weight or less, a germination temperature of 15°C, and a germination time of 40.5 hours or more and 45.0 hours or less, exhibits the following characteristics (1), (2), and (3): (1) Soluble nitrogen content of 0.70% by weight or more; (2) Kohlbach index of 43.0% by weight or more; (3) Beta-glucan content of 440 mg / L or less; Having, Barley seeds.

2. The malt of barley seeds as described in Claim 1, malt.

3. Having the barley seeds described in claim 1, Barley plant.

4. The method includes germinating the barley seeds described in claim 1. Malt production method.

5. Using a raw material containing barley seeds as described in claim 1 or malt as described in claim 2, A method for manufacturing beverages.

Images