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Project

FIBRAXFUN : A Knowledge Base for Exploiting Novel Wheats Rich in Arabinoxylan Dietary Fibre throughout the Wheat Value Chain (FIBRAXFUN)

Main research question/goal

The main objective of FIBRAXFUN is to develop and characterise novel high dietary fiber (DF) wheat lines. We apply beyond state-of-the-art technology for exploring the diverse structures of arabinoxylan (AX) in wheat flour and its properties relevant to (sourdough) bread making. This will serve as a basis for optimizing their processing in bread making and creation of other staple foods such as breakfast cereals and pasta with higher fiber content.


Research approach

We test novel wheat types with high AX content (2.0 - 4.5% of dry matter) in multisite-multiyear field trials to study of the impact of crop management on AX content and extractability. We search for novel genetic sources of high AX content in wheat, rye and triticale. We characterize the underlying alleles and genes using genomics tools in order to set up new breeding initiatives. Beyond state-of-the-art AX nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) characterisation techniques are developed. We gather knowledge of AX structures and their physico-chemical properties in high AX wheat flour in relation to its enzyme degradability. The structure-function relationships of AX during classical yeast-based bread making and during sourdough bread making are revealed.


Relevance/Valorisation

The complete cereal processing sector, with typical products such as bread, bakery products, pasta, breakfast cereals and biscuits, is an important economic sector in Flanders. FIBRAXFUN fits in the Flanders' FOOD roadmap "from grain to bakery". Plant breeding companies will obtain tools to screen their proprietary germplasm and other relevant sources and initiate breeding programs for high-fiber grain. New insights will provide scientific guidance for designing healthy high-quality foods (mainly breads, but also pastry, waffles, biscuit, breakfast cereal), composed feed by exploiting the novel wheat flours and for producing novel DF (rich) ingredients as co-product of industrial cereal processing. 


Funding provider(s)
VLAIO
Date:1 Sep 2019 →  31 Aug 2023