Publications by authors named "H Van den Broeck"

Increasing natural resistance and resilience in plants is key for ensuring food security within a changing climate. Breeders improve these traits by crossing cultivars with their wild relatives and introgressing specific alleles through meiotic recombination. However, some genomic regions are devoid of recombination especially in crosses between divergent genomes, limiting the combinations of desirable alleles.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study of allopolyploid okra revealed unique telomeric and genomic features, with evidence of chromosomal speciation and specific rRNA gene arrangements, confirming a 65 chromosome and 1.45 Gb genome size in a related haploid.
  • Analysis showed minimal recombination between sub-genomes, indicating diploid characteristics, with 75% diploid nature and 15% heterozygosity, along with the presence of two distinct sub-genomes.
  • Over 130,000 potential genes were identified, primarily located at chromosome ends, with low genetic diversity, and genes related to phenol biosynthesis pathways were annotated, linking genetic data to the production of compounds with dietary and therapeutic significance in okra.
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Wholemeal flours from blends of bread wheat, emmer and spelt were processed into bread using yeast-based and sourdough fermentation. The bread wheat flour contained significantly higher concentrations of total dietary fibre and fructans than the spelt and emmer flours, the latter having the lowest contents. Breadmaking using sourdough and yeast systems resulted in changes in composition from flour to dough to bread including increases in organic acids and mannitol in the sourdough system and increases in amino acids and sugars (released by hydrolysis of proteins and starch, respectively) in both processing systems.

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Ingestion of gluten proteins (gliadins and glutenins) from wheat, barley and rye can cause coeliac disease (CD) in genetically predisposed individuals. The only remedy is a strict and lifelong gluten-free diet. There is a growing desire for coeliac-safe, whole-grain wheat-based products, as consumption of whole-grain foods reduces the risk of chronic diseases.

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Sprouting induces activation and de novo synthesis of hydrolytic enzymes that make nutrients available for plant growth and development. Consumption of sprouted grains is suggested to be beneficial for human health. Positive consumer perceptions about sprouted cereals have resulted in new food and beverage product launches.

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