Consumption of barley β‐glucan ameliorates fatty liver and insulin resistance in mice fed a high‐fat diet

Consumption of a diet high in barley β‐glucan (BG) has been shown to prevent insulin resistance. To investigate the mechanism for the effects of barley BG, three groups of male 7‐wk‐old C57BL/6J mice were fed high‐fat diets containing 0, 2, or 4% of barley BG for 12 wk. The 2% BG and 4% BG groups had significantly lower body weights compared with the 0% BG group. The 4% BG group demonstrated improved glucose tolerance and lower levels of insulin‐resistance index and glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypeptide. Consumption of the BG diet decreased hepatic lipid content. Mice on the BG diet also demonstrated decreased fatty acid synthase and increased cholesterol 7α‐hydroxylase gene expression levels. The BG diet promoted hepatic insulin signaling by decreasing serine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 and activating Akt, and it decreased mRNA levels of glucose‐6‐phosphatase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. In summary, consumption of BG reduced weight gain, decreased hepatic lipid accumulation, and improved insulin sensitivity in mice fed a high‐fat diet. Insulin signaling enhanced due to the expression changes of glucose and lipid metabolism genes by BG consumption. Consumption of barley BG could be an effective strategy for preventing obesity, insulin resistance, and the metabolic syndrome.