Health-promoting properties of barley: A review of nutrient and nutraceutical composition, functionality, bioprocessing, and health benefits

Abstract

Barley is one of the world’s oldest cereal crops forming an important component of many traditional diets. Barley is rich in a variety of bioactive phytochemicals with potentially health-promoting effects. However, its beneficial nutritional attributes are not being fully realized because of the limited number of foods it is currently utilized in. It is therefore crucial for the food industry to produce novel barley-based foods that are healthy and cater to customers’ tastes. This article reviews the nutritional and functional characteristics of barley, with an emphasis on its ability to improve glucose/lipid metabolism. Then, recent trends in barley product development are discussed. Finally, current limitations and future research directions in glucolipid modulation mechanisms and barley bioprocessing are discussed.

Keywords:

• Anti-obesity
• barley
• fermentation
• food processing
• nutrition

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the priority academic program development of Jiangsu higher education institutions, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31801538), and the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2019M651747), the Senior Talent Cultivation Program of Jiangsu University (18JDG023) and the Jiangsu “Mass Innovation and Entrepreneurship” (shuang chuang Ph.Ds) Talent Programme.