Abstract:This study investigated the effects of germination on nutritional quality and antihypertensive effect of highland barley by comparing the mass fraction of β-glucan, γ-aminobutyric acid, free amino acids, total polyphenols and other nutrients before and after the germination of highland barley, as well as the changes in enzyme activities such as β-glucanase and protease, and systolic blood pressure and heart rate of hypertensive rats. The results showed that the mass fraction of β-glucan, starch and protein decreased with the prolonged germination time, while the mass fraction of γ-aminobutyric acid reached its highest value at germination for 48 h. The mass fraction of total polyphenols and total flavonoids, as well as the activities of β-glucanase, amylase and protease increased with the increasing germination time. The total mass fraction of amino acids, especially the mass fraction of essential amino acids, significantly increased after germination (P<0.05), indicating that the nutritional value of highland barley could be improved by germination. In addition, compared with the non-germinated highland barley, the germinated highland barley showed a better efficacy in reducing the systolic blood pressure, heart rate, angiotensin Ⅱ and angiopoietin in hypertensive rats (P<0.05), indicating a better effect on alleviating hypertension.
