1. Triticum dicoccum: "A Low G.I. Food for the Diabetics"
Vikas, V.K.1, Sivasamy, M.1, Jayaprakash, P.1, Jagdish Kumar2, Das, B.K.3
1 ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute Regional Station, Wellington , India
2 ICAR-National Institute of Biotic Stress Management, Raipur , India
3Mutation Breeding Section, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai , India

2. ICAR - Indian Agricultural Research Institute
Emmer wheat: Triticum dicoccum L.
Vernacular names: Samba (Tamil Nadu), Jave, Sadaka,
(Karnataka), Khapli (Maharashtra), Popathiya (Gujarat),
Farro (Italy) etc.
Tetraploid: 2n=4x=28
Grown in Central and South India
Tolerant to drought & heat stress
Resistant to stem and leaf rusts
Hard threshing
Consumed as Upma, Porridge etc.
Becoming “ Functional food ”
High protein – 15-16%
High dietary fibre – 16%
Low glycaemic index (< 55)
High anti oxidant compounds
High satiety value
Reduce - total lipids, triglycerides and LDL-Cholesterol
(Yenagi et al., 2001)
Dietary management – Diabetes and Cardiovascular diseases 2

3. ICAR - Indian Agricultural Research Institute
Diabetes and Glycaemic index
Diabetes is a group of diseases in which the body either doesn’t produce enough or any insulin, does not properly use the insulin that is produced, or a combination of both
China, India, USA
Nearly 65 millions – % Type 2 diabetes
8.2% male population
6.8% female population
Kerala, Tamilnadu, Gujarat
7th largest killer by 2030
Managed with healthier lifestyles
- WHO report and Lancet Study (2016)
Glycaemic index (GI)
Indicates the food’s effect on a person’s blood glucose (blood sugar) level
Range: 0-100
Relative to Standard (Glucose -100)
Dicoccum wheat
Bread wheat
Rice 3

4. ICAR - Indian Agricultural Research Institute
Background
Land races/ old varieties - Tall, lodging, low yield & high quality
NP 200, NP 201 & NP 202
Need – Semi dwarf & high yield with high quality
Variability - Limited
Earlier research
Transfer – Dwarfing genes from T. durum
Partial Success – semi dwarf, high yielding with low quality
Linkage drag
Objective
To develop semi dwarf, high yielding with high quality dicoccum
through mutation
Materials and methods
Parent variety - NP 201
Irradiation – Gamma rays using Cobalt-60 (GC 5000 Irradiator)
At – Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai
Dose : 100, 200, 300 and Gy/min
Treatment : 1000 seeds each
Replication :3
Best : 200Gy

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Materials and Method contd……………
NP201 (1000 seeds) – Irradiated with gamma rays M1 M2
(Semi dwarf mutant) M3 M4
M5 (Stable line – Semidwarf and High yield)
AICW&BIP Trials – Yield, quality and disease reaction

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Results
Grain with husk
Huskless grain
Broken grain
NP201
HW1098
Traits
HW 1098
NP 201
Protein (%)
16.8
17.25
Sedimentation Value (ml)
29.0
31.5
Yellow pigment/Beta carotene (ppm)
3.39
3.23
M5 generation - stable line
Reduction in height (20%)
Increase in yield (35-40%)
Quality comparable to NP201
Released as variety

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Take home message….
Old crop with promising future
Cereal crop – high protein and dietary fibre
- Low Glycaemic index (GI)
Dietary management – Diabetes & Cardiovascular diseases
Road a head………..
Starch profiling
Resistant starch – Physiologically similar to dietary fibre
Starch – size and shape
- amylose and amylopectin
Dietary fibre – Chemical composition
Protein – Amino acid composition
Antioxidant compounds
Clinical studies
Current view of dietary carbohydrates as simply providing us with energy
should be reconsidered

8. IACR - Indian Agricultural Research Institute
Food as medicine
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