# US 9,752,157 B2 · High fructan cereal plants

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- Number: US 9,752,157 B2
- Document ID: US9752157B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/008,746
- Filed: 2011-01-18
- Published: 2011-11-17
- Granted: 2017-09-05
- Earliest claimed: 2008-07-17
- Assignees: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
- Applicants: Colin Leslie Dow Jenkins; Bryan Charles Clarke; Zhongyi Li; Matthew Kennedy Morell
- Inventors: Colin Leslie Dow Jenkins; Bryan Charles Clarke; Zhongyi Li; Matthew Kennedy Morell
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9752157B2

## CPC

- C12N 15/8245: {involving modified carbohydrate or sugar alcohol metabolism, e.g. starch biosynthesis}
- A61P 1/00: Drugs for disorders of the alimentary tract or the digestive system
- A61P 3/00: Drugs for disorders of the metabolism (of the blood or the extracellular fluid A61P7/00)
- A61P 3/02: Nutrients, e.g. vitamins, minerals
- A61P 19/08: for bone diseases, e.g. rachitism, Paget's disease
- G01N 33/50: Chemical analysis of biological material, e.g. blood, urine; Testing involving biospecific ligand binding methods; Immunological testing (measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms, compositions or test papers therefor; processes for forming such compositions, condition responsive control in microbiological or enzymological processes C12Q)
- G01N 2400/38: Heteroglycans, i.e. polysaccharides having more than one sugar residue in the main chain in either alternating or less regular sequence, e.g. gluco- or galactomannans, Konjac gum, Locust bean gum or Guar gum
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)
- A61P: SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS OR MEDICINAL PREPARATIONS
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

The invention provides cereal plants having a high level of fructan useful for the production of a range of food, beverage, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products. The invention provides methods of producing high-fructan products from plants modified to comprise a reduced level of an endogenous polypeptide with starch synthase activity, and products so produced. In some embodiments, plants are modified by introduction of an agent such as a nucleic acid molecule which down regulates endogenous starch synthase II gene expression.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for making a composition having barley grain fructan or wheat grain fructan, comprising:
(i) selecting barley grain or wheat grain which has a reduced level of starch synthase II (SSII) compared to a wild-type grain of the same type; and
(ii) isolating the fructan from the grain selected in step (i) to produce the composition having at least 50% by weight barley grain fructan or wheat grain fructan.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the barley grain or wheat grain comprises at least 4% fructan and has a starch content of at least 30%, each as a percentage of the total grain weight.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein the fructan comprises a degree of polymerization from about 3 to about 12.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein the grain is cracked, ground, polished, milled, kibbled, rolled or pearled grain.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2 which further comprises measuring the level of or assaying the type of fructan in the grain or in the composition.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein the composition has at least 60% by weight barley grain fructan or wheat grain fructan.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The process of claim 6, wherein the composition has at least 70% by weight barley grain fructan or wheat grain fructan.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The process of claim 7, wherein the composition has at least 80% by weight barley grain fructan or wheat grain fructan.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

A process for making a food or beverage product or ingredient comprising:
(i) obtaining a composition having at least 50% barley grain fructan or wheat grain fructan by the process of claim 2; and
(ii) processing the composition to make the food or beverage product or food or beverage ingredient.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The process of claim 9, wherein the food or beverage product comprises at least 5% fructan as a percentage by weight.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The process of claim 9, wherein the fructan comprises a degree of polymerization from about 3 to about 12.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The process of claim 9, wherein the food is a breakfast cereal, biscuit, muffin, muesli bar, noodle or pasta.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The process of claim 9 which further comprises measuring the level of or assaying the type of fructan in the food or beverage ingredient or in the food or beverage product.

### Claim 14

A process for making a food or beverage ingredient having barley grain fructan or wheat grain fructan, comprising
(i) selecting barley grain or wheat grain which has a reduced level of starch synthase II (SSII) compared to a wild-type grain of the same type;
(ii) isolating the fructan from the grain selected in step (i) to produce a composition having at least 50% by weight barley grain fructan or wheat grain fructan; and
(iii) processing the composition to make the food or beverage ingredient having barley grain fructan or wheat grain fructan.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The process of claim 14, wherein the barley grain or wheat grain comprises at least 4% fructan and has a starch content of at least 30%, each as a percentage of the total grain weight.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The process of claim 15, wherein the fructan comprises a degree of polymerization from about 3 to about 12.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The process of claim 15, wherein the grain is cracked, ground, polished, milled, kibbled, rolled or pearled grain.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The process of claim 15 which further comprises measuring the level of or assaying the type of fructan in the composition or in the food or beverage ingredient.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The process of claim 15, wherein the composition has at least 60% by weight barley grain fructan or wheat grain fructan.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The process of claim 19, wherein the composition has at least 70% by weight barley grain fructan or wheat grain fructan.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The process of claim 20, wherein the composition has at least 80% by weight barley grain fructan or wheat grain fructan.

### Claim 22 (depends on 15)

A process for making a food or beverage product or ingredient comprising:
(i) obtaining a composition having at least 50% barley grain fructan or wheat grain fructan by the process of claim 15; and
(ii) processing the composition to make the food or beverage product or food or beverage ingredient.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The process of claim 22, wherein the food or beverage product comprises at least 5% fructan as a percentage by weight.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The process of claim 22, wherein the fructan comprises a degree of polymerization from about 3 to about 12.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The process of claim 22, wherein the food is a breakfast cereal, biscuit, muffin, muesli bar, noodle or pasta.

### Claim 26 (depends on 22)

The process of claim 22 which further comprises measuring the level of or assaying the type of fructan in the food or beverage ingredient or in the food or beverage product.

### Claim 27

A process for making a composition having barley grain fructan or wheat grain fructan, comprising:
(i) selecting barley grain or wheat grain which comprises at least 4 fructan and has a starch content of at least 30%, each as a percentage of the total grain weight, and has a reduced level of starch synthase II (SSII) compared to a wild-type grain of the same type; and
(ii) isolating the fructan from the grain selected in step (i) to produce the composition having at least 50% by weight barley grain fructan or wheat grain fructan.