Mining the A.E. Watkins Wheat Landrace Collection for Variation in Starch Digestibility Using a New High-Throughput Assay.

Breeding for less digestible starch in wheat can improve the health impact of bread and other wheat foods. The application of forward genetic approaches has lately opened opportunities for the discovery of new genes that influence the digestibility of starch, without the burden of detrimental effects on yield or on pasta and bread-making quality. In this study we developed a high-throughput in vitro starch digestibility assay (HTA) for use in forward genetic approaches to screen wheat germplasm.

Loss of starch synthase IIIa changes starch molecular structure and granule morphology in grains of hexaploid bread wheat.

Starch synthase III plays a key role in starch biosynthesis and is highly expressed in developing wheat grains. To understand the contribution of SSIII to starch and grain properties, we developed wheat ssIIIa mutants in the elite cultivar Cadenza using in silico TILLING in a mutagenized population. SSIIIa protein was undetectable by immunoblot analysis in triple ssIIIa mutants carrying mutations in each homoeologous copy of ssIIIa (A, B and D).

A comparison of the Woman-centred care: strategic directions for Australian maternity services (2019) national strategy with other international maternity plans.

Background: In 2019 the Australian government released a guiding document for maternity care: Woman-centred care strategic directions for Australian maternity services (WCC Strategy), with mixed responses from providers and consumers. The aims of this paper were to: examine reasons behind reported dissatisfaction, and compare the WCC Strategy against similar international strategies/plans. The four guiding values in the WCC strategy: safety, respect, choice, and access were used to facilitate comparisons and provide recommendations to governments/health services enacting the plan.

Effect of high-amylose wheat mutants on starch digestibility in bread, product quality, postprandial satiety and glycaemic response.

High-amylose () mutant wheat has potential to be low-glycaemic compared to conventional wheat; however, the effects of bread made from wheat flour on glycaemic response and product quality require investigation. We report the impact of white bread made from wheat flour on starch digestibility and product quality, and on postprandial glycaemia , compared to an isoglucidic wild-type (WT) control white bread. Starch in bread was ∼20% less susceptible to amylolysis leading to ∼15% lower glycaemic response measured , compared to the WT control bread, without major effects on bread appearance or texture, measured instrumentally.

Strategies to improve wheat for human health.

Despite their economic importance and growing demand, concerns are emerging around wheat-based foods and human health. Most wheat-based foods are made from refined white flour rather than wholemeal flour, and the overconsumption of these products may contribute to the increasing global prevalence of chronic diseases, particularly type 2 diabetes and obesity. Here, we review how the amount, composition and interactions of starch and cell wall polysaccharides, the major carbohydrate components in refined wheat products, impact human health.