Oat, also known as Avena sativa, is an annual cereal grown for forage, fodder, and grain [2]. It is a vernalization-responsive long-day plant with seasonal flowering behavior being crucial for its success as a crop. Oat is rich in phytochemicals, dietary fibers, protein, and starch, which contribute to various health-beneficial properties [1,3].

Oat proteins and peptides obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis have diverse regulatory functions, including antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-hypoxic, antihypertensive, antithrombotic, antifatigue, immunomodulatory, and hypocholesterolemic properties, though most studies are in vitro [1]. Oat consumption has been associated with multiple health benefits. It can reduce serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, and under certain conditions, may also reduce triglycerides (TG) and improve high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) [5]. Oat intake can increase beneficial bacterial groups in the gut, improve gut permeability, and is considered beneficial for human health in terms of promoting immunomodulation, improving gut microbiota, and preventing diseases like atherosclerosis, dermatitis, and some cancers [4,7]. Oat constituents may also reduce fat storage, potentially via multiple mediatory mechanisms related to appetite regulation, gut functions, and fat metabolism [6].

In conclusion, Oat is a nutritionally rich cereal with significant health-promoting properties. Although in-vivo studies, especially those using gene knockout (KO) or conditional knockout (CKO) mouse models, are currently limited, the existing research shows its potential in various health-related areas such as cardiovascular health, anti-obesity, and gut health. Further in-vivo functional studies using appropriate research models like KO or CKO mouse models could provide more in-depth understanding of the underlying mechanisms and the role of Oat in these biological processes and disease conditions.

References:

1. Rafique, Hamad, Dong, Rui, Wang, Xiaolong, Zou, Liang, Hu, Xinzhong. 2022. Dietary-Nutraceutical Properties of Oat Protein and Peptides. In Frontiers in nutrition, 9, 950400. doi:10.3389/fnut.2022.950400. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35866075/

2. Trevaskis, Ben, Harris, Felicity A J, Bovill, William D, Boden, Scott A, Hyles, Jessica. 2022. Advancing understanding of oat phenology for crop adaptation. In Frontiers in plant science, 13, 955623. doi:10.3389/fpls.2022.955623. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36311119/

3. Punia, Sneh, Sandhu, Kawaljit Singh, Dhull, Sanju Bala, Kaur, Maninder, Kidwai, Mohd Kashif. 2020. Oat starch: Physico-chemical, morphological, rheological characteristics and its applications - A review. In International journal of biological macromolecules, 154, 493-498. doi:10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2020.03.083. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32173437/

4. Paudel, Devendra, Dhungana, Bandana, Caffe, Melanie, Krishnan, Padmanaban. 2021. A Review of Health-Beneficial Properties of Oats. In Foods (Basel, Switzerland), 10, . doi:10.3390/foods10112591. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34828872/

5. Amerizadeh, Atefeh, Ghaheh, Hooria Seyedhosseini, Vaseghi, Golnaz, Farajzadegan, Ziba, Asgary, Sedigheh. 2022. Effect of Oat (Avena sativa L.) Consumption on Lipid Profile With Focus on Triglycerides and High-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C): An Updated Systematic Review. In Current problems in cardiology, 48, 101153. doi:10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2022.101153. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35192870/

6. Sirotkin, A V. . The Effect of Dietary Oat Consumption and Its Constituents on Fat Storage and Obesity. In Physiological research, 72, S157-S163. doi:. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37565419/

7. Valido, Ezra, Stoyanov, Jivko, Bertolo, Alessandro, Kern, Hua, Glisic, Marija. . Systematic Review of the Effects of Oat Intake on Gastrointestinal Health. In The Journal of nutrition, 151, 3075-3090. doi:10.1093/jn/nxab245. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34486656/