2008 NOV 10 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "Himalaya 292 is a novel hull-less barley cultivar with lower total starch content, a higher proportion of amylose and a substantially higher content of soluble and insoluble fibre. The high fibre content suggests that the grain may have potential as an ingredient in health promoting foods," researchers in Adelaide, Australia report.

  "In this study, 29 healthy volunteers consumed extruded whole grain breakfast cereal made from Himalaya 292 (123 g) or a commercial hull-less barley (cv Torrens) (76 g) each supplying 50 g carbohydrate. Glycemic indices were 77 +/- 13 (SEM) and 50 +/- 9 for Torrens and Himalaya 292 breakfast cereals respectively (P = 0.004). On this basis, the Himalaya 292 cereal is a low glycemic index food. The glycemic load (the product of glycemic index and the available carbohydrate content of a 60 g serve divided by 100) of the new cultivar was 10.1 +/- 1.8 compared to 25.3 +/- 4.3 for the Torrens breakfast cereal (P < 0.001). The plasma insulin response to the test meal was 26% lower for Himalaya 292 than for Torrens (P = 0.023)," wrote R.A. King and colleagues ...read more

  2008 NOV 10 - (VerticalNews.com) -- "Improvement of rice storage proteins is important in rice breeding for high nutritional quality. Seventy-one recombinant inbred lines (RIL) derived from a cross between japonica variety Asominori and indica variety IR24 were used to study the inheritance of crude protein and protein fraction contents in rice," scientists in Nanjing, People's Republic of China report.

  "A total of 16 QTL were identified and mapped on eight chromosomes. Several QTL affecting contents of different protein fractions were mapped in the same chromosomal region. In particular, two QTL with a significant contribution were identified to simultaneously affect prolamin and glutelin contents. One QTL denoted as qCP-12 affecting crude protein content (CP) was located in the same region as QTL qGLT-12 affecting glutelin content, in agreement with the positive correlation between glutelin level and protein content. QTL with larger genetic effects were further confirmed using two sets of chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSL), where Asominori and IR24 were used as the recurrent parents. By QTL comparative analysis, two QTL for CP, three for globulin content and one for prolamin content were located in the vicinity of CP QTL previously identified in polished rice," wrote W.W. Zhang and colleagues ...read more

  2008 NOV 10 - (VerticalNews.com) -- According to recent research from Lismore, Australia, "Folates are essential cofactors required by most living organisms yet only plants and microorganisms have retained the ability of de novo synthesis. Human deficiencies remain prevalent due to inadequate dietary intake."

  "Cereals are the most widely consumed plant product yet fail to supply sufficient levels of folates, however an active folate pathway in seeds identifies cereals as a potential target for biofortification. GTP cyclohydrolase 1 mRNAs were isolated front developing wheat seed tissues, leaves and roots suggesting de novo folate synthesis is occurring throughout the wheat plant. A homologous gene was identified in the rice genome sequence revealing both wheat and rice GCHI transcripts have conserved features identified in other plant GCHI genes. Wheat seed transcripts produced functional recombinant proteins which catalysed the formation of dihydroneopterin triphosphate from GTP. A differential expression profile of GCHI transcripts occurred throughout seed development whereas folate accumulation decreased. Interestingly, the mature seed has retained GCHI activity only in the embryo and maternal layers which explains the apparent partitioning of folate accumulation in the mature seed," wrote S.R. Mcintosh and colleagues, Southern Cross University ...read more