Arabinoxylan Content of Commercial Beers

Fifteen commercial beers representing four product categories were screened for arabinoxylan and β-glucan content. Significant differences (P< 0.05) in the levels both of arabinoxylans and β-glucans were detected between the beers and probably reflect differences in the levels of adjunct utilized. Beer arabinoxylan content ranged from 514 μg/ml in a domestic light beer to 4,211 μg/ml in a German wheat beer. The concentration of β-glucan in all beers was several-fold lower than the corresponding arabinoxylan content. Beer β-glucan content ranged from 0.3 μg/ml to 247.7 μg/ml. Both arabinoxylan and β-glucan content were found to be significantly related to beer viscosity. The results of this study suggest that arabinoxylans may account for up to 10% of the total beer carbohydrate, and further that the role of arabinoxylans in malting, brewing, and beer quality should be more intensely investigated.