Characterization of chemical composition and techno-functional properties of oat cultivars

Background and objectives The number of products made of oats is expanding continuously, which indicates the need for a more detailed methodology for the determination of its quality traits. The aim of this work was to characterize Hungarian oat cultivars by general wheat testing methods and to investigate the discriminatory power of these, as well as to study relationships between chemical composition and techno-functional properties. Findings Oat cultivars showed different dehulling properties. Among compositional data, fat content and fiber composition varied the most. Regarding techno-functional properties, oat samples differed mainly in pasting behavior, which was related primarily to fiber contents. Conclusions Cultivars can be discriminated and characterized reliable with the used testing methods, and with some modifications, these could be applied to set up quality requirements for oat products. However, the deeper understanding of relationships between composition and technological traits requires more detailed characterization of oat flour constituents. Significance and novelty Oat quality testing is not as sophisticated as that of wheat or rye, and our knowledge about the end-use properties is also incomplete. This work can contribute to the development of a more detailed methodology for testing oat quality and to understand relationship between compositional data and technological behavior.