Effects Of Oat β-Glucan On Microenvirolment Of Intestine And Body Metabolism Of Rats

Oat is widely used as nutraceutical or its material for reducing the risk of heart disease. In Chinese history, oat food was evaluated as endurance enhancing food. However, the effect of oats on energy metabolism of rats and the different functional effects of oat flour and oatβ-glucan are unknown. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of oat whole meal and oatβ-glucan on growth performance, blood biochemical indexes, energy charge of the body. In addition, the intestinal flora and physiological response in intestinal tract were also investigated.The results suggested that oat flour and oatβ-glucan had some differences on functional effects,the main results are as follows:(1)The results indicated that oat whole meal feed significantly increased wet weight and moisture content of feces (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference of feed intake, water intake and body weight between control group and oat whole meal group. The rats fed withβ-glucan had lower feed intake, water intake, body weight and body weight gain (P<0.01).(2)The rats fed withβ-glucan had lower fasting insulin (P<0.05), Oat whole meal had better effect on lowing total cholesterol (P < 0.05) compared withβ-glucan. The non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA)in rats ofβ-glucan group was higher than that of control group and oat whole meal group (P<0.01). Both oat whole meal andβ-glucan could improve triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C)and fasting blood-glucose in rats, but no significant difference between oat whole meal andβ-glucan groups.( 3 ) Both oat flour ang oatβ-glucan could increase the Na+K+-ATPase and Ca2+Mg2+-ATPase activity, Energy charge (EC) of small intestine in rats. Expecially oatβ-glucan had more significant effects than oat whole meal. There were small changes in the struture of small intestine, rats consumed oat whole meal or oatβ-glucan had thicker muscular layer of small intestine. Also, rats fed with oat oat whole meal or oatβ-glucan had larger amouts of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria.(4)The results indicated that, compared with control group, the ATP and EC of muscle of rats fed with oatβ-glucan reduced significantly (P<0.05), but there was no significant decrease in rats of oat whole meal group. Na+K+-ATPase activity and Ca2+Mg2+-ATPase activity of muscle of rats fed with oat whole meal orβ-glucan declined insignificantly (P>0.05), while UCP2 and UCP3 mRNA in muscle were enhanced when compared with rats of control group.