ABSTRACT
Polysaccharides serve the growing plant as a structural component that maintains the tissue integrity, as a conduit structure for the movement of water and low-molecular-weight solutes that help maintain osmotic pressure, and as a barrier against microbe and insect penetration [1]. In foods, they control rheological properties, water binding, and the sensory perception of texture, and they are important sources of nutrients and dietary fiber [2]. Because cellulose is a minor component of cereals, this article will focus primarily on pentosans and (1
→
3),(1
→
β
-
-glucans, referred to here as
β
-glucans, and their functional aspects in baking, malting, brewing, and animal feeding.
