Wheat with healthier starch properties

High amylose starches containing ‘resistant starch’ are associated with improved bowel health and have the potential for low glycaemic index. The amylose content in wheat is normally only 25 per cent and does not produce high amounts of resistant starch in foods.

CSIRO has silenced the wheat gene coding for one of the starch branching enzymes. The hairpin RNAi construct proved very effective in decreasing expression of the target gene, producing wheat grains with greater than 70 per cent amylose. The expectation is that this novel wheat should produce a high level of resistant starch in food products. The processing characteristics of these grains are currently being evaluated and their health benefits are being determined.