This common food could become a popular contrast agent

Researchers have determined that barley could be used as a contrast agent in photoacoustic imaging, sharing their findings in a new study for Biomaterials.

The authors tested numerous types of food, including tea and chocolate, to see which ones could possibly help specialists with the diagnosis of swallowing disorders. Barley showed the most potential.

“It’s really incredible,” author Jun Xia, assistant professor in the department of biomedical engineering at the University of Buffalo (UB), said in a news release. “Here you have this common grain—it has been grown all over the world for thousands of years, and used to make tea, bread, beer—and we’re just now finding another use for it as a contrast agent for medical imaging.”

Xia and colleagues say using edible contrast agents could be a significant game-changer for photoacoustic CT, speeding up the regulatory process.

“That’s what led us to search for edible alternatives,” author Jonathan Lovell, an associate professor in the department of biomedical engineering at UB, said in the same news release. “Because we’ve been eating or drinking these products, we know they’re safe for most people.”

In addition to diagnosing swallowing disorders, barley could also be used to diagnose gastrointestinal tract disorders, the researchers explained. Both roasted barley and roasted barley tea produced promising results.