Oat oil breakthrough paves way for industry growth

The search for New University of Australia comes from evidence of organic triggers of oil production in oats, a discovery that will help treat and potentially stimulate the demand for Australian cultivated oats.

While Australia is the second world exporter of oats, a high oil content in oat grains creates challenges during grinding, reducing treatment efficiency and limiting products innovation, especially in high -demand sectors such as oatmeal and plant proteins.

Researchers from the University of Australia-Meridional, the South South Research and Development Institute (Sardi) and the University of Adelaide collaborate on research designed to better understand the biological processes responsible for oil synthesis in oats.

For this study, now published in the International Journal of Biological MacromoleculesTwo contemporary varieties of oats were examined using spatial imaging techniques to follow the oil accumulation during cereal development. The researchers then applied omics – lipidomic and proteomic technologies – to analyze the expression of lipids and proteins, which provided key information on the biological mechanisms involved in the actual formation of the grain, including those relating to the synthesis of the oil.

UNISA results have provided additional evidence of the mechanisms underlying the amount of oil in a grain of oat. These results will help guide future breeding efforts for naturally lower oats, improving milling yields and the creation of new added opportunities in the oat supply chain.

UNISA PH.D. The candidate, Darren Lau, said that current oil elimination methods are ineffective and that low -mood reproduction programs will help industry growth. “Although the oil can be removed from partially crushed oats – using supercritical carbon dioxide before additional grinding – this approach is laborious and costly,” he said.

“Low -moody oats’ breeding is a profitable approach but requires an additional understanding of oil production in oats. This is where our research is essential.

“Our analysis has identified several key enzymes which are involved in the synthesis of oil which could be genetically manipulated to reduce the oil content of oat grains. Reducing oil content could also unlock new opportunities in sectors such as oat flour and alternative proteins, which could considerably strengthen the position of Australia on the market.”

The economic potential of these opportunities is reflected in the quantity of oats exported on a global scale. For example, in 2022, 26 million metric tonnes of oats were produced worldwide, which ranks them seventh among cereals in quantity of production.

The lowering of the oil content in oat grains will improve the transformation and versatility of products, positioning them alongside traditional cereal staples such as barley, corn, wheat and rice, and stimulates the growth of industry.

UNISA results are used by the consortium of quality oat grain research and grain development (GRDC) to improve adequacy for the development of grinding ingredients and food / drinks. Additional research continues within the consortium which will rely on the results of the study to further inform reproduction efforts to reduce the oil content in oats.

“Consortiums are currently working on a larger and more diverse oat cohort to study molecular markers in more detail and the partitioning of oil nutrients in oats,” said Lau. “Consortiums also study one of the key enzymes validated in this study to determine whether manipulation or elimination can lower the oil content and how it affects plant growth.”

The Sardi project project directs Dr. Janine Croser, says that the results of the study provide additional evidence of key routes involved in the biosynthesis of oat oil. “This research provides important information on the biological mechanisms underlying varietal differences in oil production in the development of oat grains.

“We expect the development of low -mood lines to improve the efficiency of the flour criminal process and potentially lead to new uses for oats. With the demand for plant -based foods, we plan that research on oat quality consortium will help Australia in oat innovation – producers, processors and exporters.