Development of low-glycemic bakery products from Barley, Oat, and Chickpea flours with In vivo evaluation for glycemic control in type 2 diabetes

Excessive consumption of refined, high glycemic foods is strongly associated with the global rise in type 2 diabetes mellitus, particularly in developing regions.Despite growing awareness of low glycemic diets, there remains a shortage of scientifically validated, nutritionally balanced, and sensory acceptable bakery products for diabetic populations.This study addresses this gap by developing affordable, culturally relevant, low-glycemic bakery products using locally available grains in high-prevalence regions such as South Asia.The objective was to formulate low glycemic bread, biscuits, and buns by partially replacing refined wheat flour with composite barley, oat, and chickpea flours rich in beta-glucan, protein, and resistant starch.Six formulations were developed and evaluated for proximate composition, antioxidant activity, sensory quality, shelf stability, and glycemic potential using in vitro enzymatic assays and in vivo testing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice.Statistical analysis was performed using ANOVA and Tukey's HSD test, with p < 0.05 considered significant.Composite formulations showed significant increases in crude protein from 15.4 to 18.9 percent, crude fiber from 5.6 to 6.8 percent, and total phenolic content from 1.42 to 1.65 mg GAE per gram.Antioxidant activity increased by 35.2 percent relative to controls.The estimated glycemic index decreased from 77.2 ± 2.1 in wheat bread to 49.5 ± 1.8 in the optimized formulation.In vivo results demonstrated reduced postprandial blood glucose and improved insulin sensitivity.These findings confirm that composite flour blends reduce glycemic response and support diabetes management.