Search

The systemic administration of glucocorticoids has not only strong beneficial anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects but also numerous adverse health effects. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the stereological and ultrastructural characteristics and distribution of gastrin-producing G cells in rat antral mucosa after 12 days of intraperitoneal administration of 2 mg/kg dexamethasone (DEX). In both groups of rats (DEX and control), the G cells were located at the base of the antral mucosal crypts, but in the DEX-treated rats, they were also found near the gastric lumen and showed an altered morphology compared to the basal cells. There were significant differences in the number of G cells per unit area and unit volume of antral mucosa between the groups studied. In the DEX-treated rats, the modified morphology and position of the antral G cells within the gastric units indicate their modified activity and possible impaired regulation of gastric acid production.

Barley and oat have been promoted for years as good sources of dietary fiber, especially β-glucan. Studies have shown a positive effect of barley and oat β-glucan on human health and as a result, there has been an increasing demand for β-glucans in the past decade. Thus, the variability of the β-glucan content was investigated in the grain of 10 barley and 10 oat varieties. The β-glucan contents were determined by the ICC Standard Method No 168. The content of β-glucan in the analyzed barley varieties were within the range 3.52–7.81% and in analyzed oat varieties, the content of β-glucan were within the range of 3.15–7.28%. Among analyzed barley varieties, Novosadski 314 contained the highest content of β-glucan (7.81%), while Tomba had the highest content of β-glucan (7.28%) in the analyzed oat varieties. Based on the results, it could be concluded that there is genetic diversity of oat and barley varieties with respect to their β-glucan content. This fact enables varieties with a high a nutritional capacity to be selected.