Abstract
Purpose : This study was designed to examine the blood glucose control and increase immunity effects of ${\beta}-glucan$ added cooked barley noodle in streptozotocin-induced diabetes mice with a high-fat diet. Method : Forty-eight male ICR mice (6-week-old) were fed AIN-93 diet for 4 weeks. Mice were divided into six groups: normal, diabetic, cooked barley noodle, ${\beta}-glucan$ (5 %) control and two experimental groups (${\beta}-glucan$ 2.5 % and 5 %, cooked barley noodle contained diet with ${\beta}-glucan$ 2.5 % and 5 % w/w). Diabetes mellitus was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (150 mg/kg). Result : Blood glucose level was significantly decreased in groups consuming cooked barley noodles, but no significant difference was exhibited in diabetic and ${\beta}-glucan$ control group. These results were in accordance with the result of oral glucose tolerance test. Blood interfereon $(IFN)-{\gamma}$ was measured in order to identify increase immunity effect of ${\beta}-glucan$ in diabetic mice. Inhibited $IFN-{\gamma}$ concentration was recovered in cooked barley noodle and ${\beta}-glucan$ control group. Moreover, $IFN-{\gamma}$ concentration was dramatically elevated in ${\beta}-glucan$ contained cooked barley noodle groups in a dose dependent manner. Streptozotocin induced AST and ALT activities were decreased in ${\beta}-glucan$ contained cooked barley noodle groups with a strong lipid lowering effect. Conclusion : Although addition of ${\beta}-glucan$n did not give any significant synergistic effect on cooked barley noodle in blood glucose regulation, suppressed $IFN-{\gamma}$ production by STZ was dramatically enhanced by ${\beta}-glucan$ supplementation in a dose dependent manner. Liver function and blood lipid profile were also in accordance with the increase immunity effect of ${\beta}-glucan$. Consequently, ${\beta}-glucan$ added cooked barley noodle can be consumed as good diets for patients with chronic diseases with reduced immunity.