NEWS | Chic >
Implementation of New Plant Breeding Techniques (NPBTs) for dietary inulin
Inulin is a dietary fiber with health-promoting characteristics mainly targeted on gut health. Inulin is extracted from root chicory and used in many food products.
The yield and the length of the inulin molecule determines the value and health-beneficial character of this compound. Using NPBT we want to increase both the yield and the length of inulin. The natural production of terpenes in chicory makes the inulin extraction method less efficient and more costly. The other goal of WP2 is to reduce the production of natural chicory terpenes.
The work done during the first two years of the project CHIC shows that we could generate mutant chicory plants in which the genes encoding the inulin break-down enzymes are blocked using genome editing techniques thanks to the small alteration the CRISPR tools made in the plant DNA. All mutated plants have been analyzed in great detail on DNA level using various methods.
More news about this project:
Plant breeding techniques in a new era
Scientists of Wageningen University & Research have published a concise booklet that gives some new insights into several aspects of plant breeding techniques such as CRISPR-Cas: ‘Plant breeding techniques in a new era’.
What is inulin?
Inulin is also called chicory root fiber and is present in many fruits and vegetables. Is it safe to eat and what are the benefits?
Do you want to know more about chicory?
Chicory is a crop that is similar to sugar beet and related to endive.