David M. Peterson (Retired), Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture and University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
OATS: Chemistry and Technology, Second Edition
Pages 123-142
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/9781891127649.008
ISBN: 978-1-891127-64-9
Abstract
Storage proteins contribute to the nutritional quality, health effects, and functionality of oats. Protein accounts for approximately 15–20%, by weight, of the oat groat, depending on genotype and growing environment (Peterson 1992). The predominant oat storage protein is classified as a globulin, which has a better amino acid composition (for human and animal nutrition) than prolamin, the main storage protein of most other cereals. The quantity and quality of oat protein is considered to be adequate for most purposes, and, at the present time, there is little incentive to breed new cultivars for increased protein concentration or improved amino acid composition.
The objective of this chapter is to bring together and interpret data on the characteristics and synthesis of oat storage proteins and how they are affected by genetics and growing environment. The implications (for nutrition, health, and functionality) of protein characteristics are considered. Much of the literature that is reviewed is decades old, as little attention has been given to research on oat storage protein in recent years. A recent review provides a perspective on oat storage proteins in relation to those found in other cereals (Shewry and Halford 2002).
