The ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls is working to increase the type and amount of fibre in edible grains to improve the health of everyday Australians.

Dietary fibre comes from the cell walls of plant leaves, stems, grains, fruits and tubers, and is made up of soluble and insoluble fibre. Insoluble fibre helps keep us ‘regular’, providing stool bulk and increasing laxation. Soluble fibre can have beneficial impacts on diabetes, heart disease and colon cancer.

One of the main non-cellulosic polysaccharides in grasses is mixed linkage glucan (β-glucan).  β-glucan is a soluble fibre found in cereals including oats and barley. In our diet, β-glucan can moderate blood glucose and insulin levels thereby reducing the risk of diabetes; it can also reduce serum cholesterol and therefore reduce heart disease and colon cancer.

ARC Centre research looks to identify and understand the crucial polysaccharide structures that underpin these health benefits, while maintaining plant fitness. This knowledge can be transferred via cereal breeding to provide consumers with cereal grains containing high concentrations of beneficial fibres.