Water-insoluble beta-(1,3)-D-glucan (lichenan) was determined in 43 samples of various cereal (i.e., oats, barley, wheat, millet) and pseudocereal (i.e., buckwheat, amaranth) cultivars using a modified procedure with fungal alpha-amylase (Fermizyme P 300). The content of water-insoluble beta-glucan varied with dependence on the cereal species and cultivars. The highest content was observed in covered oat cultivars (Cyril and the new breeding cultivar PS-100), ranging from 26.7 to 28.2 g/100 g dry matter (d.m.), followed by less traditional cereals such as millet ( Panicum miliaceum), amaranth ( Amaranthus sp.), and buckwheat ( Fagopyrum) - more than 20 g/100 g d. m. A somewhat lower average content of water-insoluble beta-glucan was found in wheat - 12.7-16.2 g/100 g d. m., in spelt wheat - 8.5 g/100 g d. m., and in oats - varying between 15.3 and 18.7 g/100 g d. m.
