New complex carbohydrate discovered in barley
University of Adelaide researchers have discovered a new complex carbohydrate in barley. The first of its kind to be discovered in over 30 years, the cereal polysaccharide has potential applications in food, medicine and cosmetics.
[...] The new polysaccharide is a mix of glucose, commonly found in cellulose, and xylose, which is found in dietary fibre. Based on the relative proportions of each sugar, the hybrid polysaccharide has the potential to behave as a structural component of the wall providing strength or conversely as a viscous gel.
Further research is required to understand the new polysaccharide's potential uses. Existing polysaccharides have a wide range of uses. They improve the quality of dietary fibre in porridge and are also used extensively in biomedical and cosmetic applications.
"The properties of the new polysaccharide could be manipulated to suit the desired function, increasing the range of potential uses," says Dr Little. "The genes involved in the biosynthesis of the new polysaccharide were also discovered as part of this work. The same genes can be found in all major cereal crops – not just barley. We can now use this knowledge to find ways of increasing these polysaccharides in crops, providing the possibility of generating plant material with a range of potentially different physical properties for industrial applications."
A Novel (1,4)-β-Linked Glucoxylan Is Synthesized by Members of the Cellulose Synthase-Like F Gene Family in Land Plants (open, DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.8b00568) (DX)
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 13 2019, @06:15AM (4 children)
Finding something new in one of the oldest, most studied crops really drives home the point that we really don't know shit. It is hard to put your faith in anyone who speaks authoritatively on a subject when things like this keep popping up. I fault none of the scientists, except the ones who don't acknowledge that the world is really really complex and pretend to know it all.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Sunday January 13 2019, @07:30AM (3 children)
Humility. A number of people have stated, in different ways, the idea that wisdom begins when you admit how ignorant you are.
Studies are linked to here, all the time. Those that say "the study suggests" are usually cool. Others - primarily the climate change people, but there are others - who emphatically claim their study to "prove" something are just idiots.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 13 2019, @07:55AM
Researchers often write "suggests", but try this: Look in their paper for where they describe what was published previously and it will be stated with all the confidence in the world. Then if you go to that paper you will see they wrote "suggests", and confidently cited the people before them, etc.
It is just lip-service, it isn't how your average researcher actually thinks. They think "statistically significant and passed peer review" = "real". Sometimes you can even just read their interviews with the press and see they don't believe their conclusion was actually only "suggested".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 13 2019, @11:00AM
Wow, what an idiot.
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 13 2019, @10:00PM
So by that logic you are one of the dumbest people around here since you spout garbage with absolute confidence and double down when shown to be wrong. I don't expect you to have some brilliant realization just yet, but let your own words sink in.
(Score: 4, Funny) by realDonaldTrump on Sunday January 13 2019, @08:05AM
So proud of our Food Industry! And the Engineers that do very special things with Food. So amazing what they can do nowadays. With the Ingredients. Has anybody ever looked at Ingredients? I was eating a carton of ice cream, so many Ingredients in that one. I asked Ivanka, she said, "oh, that Ingredient comes from seaweed." They don't call it seaweed, they have a fancy name for it. And it doesn't, I assume, taste like seaweed. It was delicious. PERFECTO. Thanks to the brilliant Engineers.
Pringles, you think "oh, they slice & fry some Potatoes," right? Or possibly, bake them. WRONG. They make them from Ingredients. Many many Ingredients. And the Ingredients, it doesn't say Corn. It says Malto something. Ivanka says, it used to be Corn. Then they made it into Corn Starch. Everybody knows the Corn Starch, right? But, they take the Corn Starch, they make it into the Malto. It goes into the chips. Lots of Ingredients and each one does something very special. So that the "potato chips" are perfect. 100%. And Ivanka tells me, so many Foods that come in the package. The bag or the box. They're made from Ingredients and a lot of the Ingredients are made from Corn. Doesn't say Corn. But it's Corn. Used to be Corn. And for somebody that has allergy, it's very hard. They have a very hard time with that. Fortunately I have great genes.
Congratulations on the new Ingredient! Which, almost definitely, they're going to make from Corn. Because it pays much better than Barely. We're going to have so many incredible new Foods. And our old Foods are going to get so much better. Absolutely sensational. You'll put them in your mouth, you won't believe what you're feeling in there. And the flavor, almost unbelievable. Great job!!!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 13 2019, @08:07AM (3 children)
To get addicted to and get superfatty and then travel to Mexico and get sugery superbug.
(Score: 3, Funny) by The Mighty Buzzard on Sunday January 13 2019, @11:49AM (2 children)
Beer is made of barley and its carbohydrates. Just saying...
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 13 2019, @11:57AM (1 child)
Yeah, but they are promising loads of it exclusively in a new delicious form yet, to chew on it.
(Score: 2) by stretch611 on Sunday January 13 2019, @12:06PM
Who the f--- cares what form they want...
Just get it in the proven form, beer... truly the nectar of the gods.
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 13 2019, @12:23PM (2 children)
Yet more calories you're avoiding by focusing on meat and dairy and skipping grains and high carbs overall.
(Score: 3, Touché) by takyon on Sunday January 13 2019, @04:34PM (1 child)
What, did the estimated calorie count of barley just shoot up 10%?
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 13 2019, @08:41PM
It would be counted as fiber, I believe.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by CZB on Sunday January 13 2019, @04:49PM (4 children)
I've got 5 tons in 1400lb sacks, ready to load.
It sure would be neat if some worthwhile product needs barley, currently its hardly worth growing.
(Score: 2) by RandomFactor on Sunday January 13 2019, @05:51PM (2 children)
Sounds like it might have some application on the southern border.
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday January 13 2019, @10:12PM (1 child)
Oh you're one of the wall idiots. So all the data showing the wall will not stop illegal immigration means nothing to you then?
(Score: 2) by RandomFactor on Sunday January 13 2019, @11:26PM
...You think a throwaway joke about using BARLEY to make a wall says something of import?
AC's are such a variable lot.
В «Правде» нет известий, в «Известиях» нет правды
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 14 2019, @11:23AM
Then sell it as an alternative to 'real' Ovaltine (the foreign stuff is mostly malt, whereas the American stuff is mostly a Nesquick/Carnation knockoff with a different flavor.)
That much barley sounds great for all kinds of things, but I wonder at the hassle for interstate transport.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday January 14 2019, @05:53PM
The one thing I know for sure is that Barley Green is the most vile tasting substance. (Something like this.) https://www.amazon.com/Barleygreen-Premium-Hagiwaras-Organic-Barley/dp/B00LUU1WFG/ [amazon.com] My parents got some, I have no idea why, but it tasted awful and possibly worse when placed in lemonade. I've never even been remotely interested in Barley since then. Perhaps, it's a great tasty something, but one taste of Barley Green and you'll know how a kid could be traumatized for life.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"