Effect of Beta-Glucan and Resistant Starch on Prebiotic Dough and Bread Properties.

White bread is a staple food in the human diet in many countries and a popular and convenient cereal product; it is also a poor source of dietary fiber,containing typically less than 2.5% fiber content. In fact, white wheat bread is commonly used as a high glycemic index reference in glycemic response. A demand therefore exists for the development of bread with substances that are non-digestible polysaccharides or partially resistant to the digestive process.

Functional foods either contain (or add) a component with a positive health effect or eliminate a component with a negative one, as they must be safe, healthy and tasty. Addition of healthy components such as prebiotics to food products is a common approach to development of these kinds of foods. According to the definition by, prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that beneficially affect the host by selectively stimulating the growth and/or activity of one or more bacteria (probiotics) in the gastrointestinal tract and thus improve host health.(Read more)