β-glucan derived from cereal sources are high in soluble dietary fiber and can be used as thickeners, texture enhancers, stabilizers, and fat substitutes in foods. Due to its pronounced viscosity, β-glucan has physiological activity in the body, such as decreasing the glycemic index of foods and reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease in people. This review focuses on the characteristics of cereal β-glucans, extraction methods, and causes of degradation, while presenting the most relevant and recent applications in foods. Today, there is an abundant amount of information regarding extraction and characterization of β-glucans. However, studies on the degradation and application of fiber are more recent and warrant review. The incorporation of β-glucan has worked well in high carbohydrate foods (e.g., pasta and snacks), but there are still challenges with its inclusion in protein-rich foods (e.g., dairy and meat products). After a comprehensive search and an objective point of view of these aspects, the primary challenges with the incorporation of β-glucan in foods are the inclusion of sufficient amounts of dietary fiber to have a significant nutritional contribution, the combination with other ingredients and other components of the food (evaluated synergistically or antagonistically), and the new incorporation of β-glucan in foods without their degradation during processing.

源自谷物的β-葡聚糖富含高含量的膳食纤维，可用作食品中的增稠剂，质地增强剂，稳定剂和脂肪替代品。由于其明显的粘度，β-葡聚糖在体内具有生理活性，例如降低食物的血糖指数和减少人们心血管疾病的发生率。这篇综述着重介绍谷物β-葡聚糖的特性，提取方法和降解原因，同时介绍了食品中最相关和最新的应用。如今，有关β-葡聚糖的提取和表征的信息非常丰富。但是，有关纤维降解和应用的研究较新，值得审查。β-葡聚糖的掺入在高碳水化合物食品（例如面食和零食）中效果很好，但是将其包含在蛋白质含量高的食品（例如，乳制品和肉类产品）中仍然面临挑战。经过全面研究并从客观角度出发，将β-葡聚糖掺入食品中的主要挑战是要添加足够量的膳食纤维以提供重要的营养成分，以及与其他成分和其他成分的结合食品（协同或拮抗性评估），以及将β-葡聚糖新掺入食品中而不会在加工过程中降解的情况。