Nutritional and Phytochemical Composition and Associated Health Benefits of Oat (Avena sativa) Grains and Oat-Based Fermented Food Products - Review Article

Sep 17, 2026

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A review article consolidating evidence on the chemical composition, phytonutrients, and health-promoting properties of oat (Avena sativa) grains and oat-based fermented foods. It highlights oat’s nutritional profile, including high-quality protein, unsaturated fats, soluble fiber with β-glucan, polyphenolic avenanthramides, and antioxidant activity. The review connects β-glucan to cholesterol and glucose-related benefits and describes how avenanthramides contribute distinctive antioxidative and potentially disease-preventive effects. It also summarizes emerging fermented oat products with probiotic potential.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Nutritional Composition of Oats

Carbohydrate, Dietary Fiber, and β-Glucan

Hindawi 􀐅e Scientiﬁc World Journal Volume 2023, Article ID 2730175, 16 pages [https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/2730175](https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/2730175) Review Article Nutritional and Phytochemical Composition and Associated Health Benefits of Oat (Avena sativa) Grains and Oat-Based Fermented Food Products Getaneh Firew Alemayehu , 1 Sirawdink Fikreyesus Forsido,2 Yetenayet B. Tola ,2 and Endale Amare3 1 Department of Chemistry, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia 2Department of Post-Harvest Management, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia 3 Food Science and Nutrition Research Directorate, Ethiopian Public Health Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Correspondence should be addressed to Getaneh Firew Alemayehu; [getafral@gmail.com](getafral@gmail.com) Received 25 October 2022; Revised 27 March 2023; Accepted 4 July 2023; Published 17 July 2023 Academic Editor: Cristiano Capurso Copyright © 2023 Getaneh Firew Alemayehu et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Oats (Avena sativa L.) are a popular functional cereal grain due to their numerous health benefts. Tis review article summarized the information on the chemical composition and phytonutrients of oats grown in diferent countries. It also reviewed recently developed fermented oat products to highlight their potential for human health. Oats have an interesting nutritional profle that includes high-quality protein, unsaturated fats, soluble fber, polyphenolic compounds, and micronutrients. Oat grain has a unique protein composition, with globulins serving as the primary storage protein, in contrast to other cereals, where prolamins are the main storage proteins. Oats have the highest fat content of any cereal, with low saturated fatty acids and high essential unsaturated fatty acid content, which can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Oats are a good source of soluble dietary fber, particularly β-glucan, which has outstanding functional properties and is extremely important in human nutrition.β-Glucan has been shown to lower blood cholesterol and glucose absorption in the intestine, thereby preventing diseases such as cardiovascular injury, dyslipidemia, hypertension, infammatory state, and type 2 diabetes. Oats also contain high concentration of antioxidant compounds. Avenanthramides, which are unique to oats, are powerful antioxidants with high antioxidative activity in humans. Recognizing the nutritional benefts of oats, oat-based fermented food products are gaining popularity as functional foods with high probiotic potential. 1. Introduction Oat (Avena sativa) is a cereal grain from the Poaceae family cultivated for cattle feed (70%) and human consumption (30%) [1] . Some studies suggest that oats can be traced back to around 2000 BC. [2] . However, the exact origins of the various Avena spp. are unknown. After many years of growing wheat and barley, oats became known and cultivated [3] . Te genus Avena contains a polyploid collection of wild, weedy, and cultivated species [4] . Avena sativa is a hexaploid species that is the world’s most widely grown and popular oat cultivar today [5] . Oats’ nutritional composition difers signifcantly from that of other cereals, with high protein content and an ample amount of essential amino acids [6, 7] . Oats have a higher fat content (6–10%) than wheat and most other cereals (2-3%) [8] . It had the highest fat content of any cereal, with a high percentage of unsaturated fats [9] . Te high nutritional value of oats is also due to their high β-glucan content [10] . Betaglucan is a vital functional component in various food industries [11] . Furthermore, oats possess more than 20 unique polyphenolic compounds known as avenanthramides [12] . Te antioxidant activity of avenanthramidesis 10 to 30 times higher

FAQs

What nutritional components of oats are emphasized in the review?

The review emphasizes high-quality protein, unsaturated fats, soluble dietary fiber (especially β-glucan), and polyphenolic compounds including avenanthramides and other antioxidants.

How does β-glucan relate to health benefits discussed in the article?

The article reports that β-glucan can lower blood cholesterol and reduce glucose absorption in the intestine, linking these effects to prevention of cardiovascular and metabolic-related conditions.

What role do avenanthramides play according to the review?

Avenanthramides are described as unique oat antioxidants with high antioxidative activity, and the review attributes to them protective effects such as anti-inflammatory and other bioactive properties.

Sep 17, 2026

Upload by Aladdin