Assessment of oat (Avena sativa) varieties unveiled the variation in nutritional quality

Abstract

The present study was carried out during 2022 at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab designed for the exploration and characterization of different oat varieties to understand their potential for physical, gravitational, functional, nutritional, and extraction of β-glucan parameters. All studied varieties showed variability in the grain and flour quality of oats. The preference of a variety based on nutritional and functional parameters contingent on this evaluation could help a satisfactory basis for future oat crop improvement plans for feed and food security. The current scientific intervention suggests that oat variety OL 1876-2 might be a suitable choice for β-glucan extraction due to its high content with promising nutritional and functional benefits. These findings may open a new avenue for further research on utilization of oats for food purpose that could cater the imminent demands of health conscious people.