The structures of mushroom and fungal β-glucans are different from the cereal β-glucans. Fungal and yeast cell walls are composed of ≤ 50% 1,3:1,6-β-glucan, whereas cereal glucans (present in oats, barley, wheat) are 1,3:1,4-β-D-glucans. K-YBGL (yeast and mushroom) kit measures 1,3:1,6, as well as 1,3:1,4-β-D-glucans. Cereal β-glucans can be measured using the Mixed Linkage β-Glucan Assay Kit (K-BGLU) and this value can be subtracted from the β-glucan value received with K-YBGL.
Please note that K-BGLU measures 1,3:1,4 β-glucan and some 1,3:1,6-β-glucan as beta-glucosidase will act on the (1,3) chain until it reaches branching. Therefore, as some 1,3:1,6 b-glucan can be measured, this will be doubly accounted for in both methods, depending on the structure of beta-glucan. The amount doubly measured will be sample dependent.
1,3:1,6 β-glucans do not occur naturally in cereal samples.