PAU’s new wheat varieties to boost immunity, check diabetes

PAU’s new wheat varieties to boost immunity, check diabetes
Ludhiana: Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has come up with a new wheat variety (PBW Zn), which is rich in iron and zinc and will help in increasing immunity. Overweight is pushing up diabetes burden and the PAU has also developed PBW RS1 variety of wheat which doesn’t cause immediate rapid rise in glucose levels.

PBW Zn improves the immune system along with regulating thyroid functioning and increasing the blood count in anaemic population
PBW RS1 doesn’t cause an immediate and rapid rise in glucose levels.
Vice-Chancellor Dr SS Gosal said the PBW Zn variety improved the immune system besides regulating thyroid functioning and increasing the blood count in anaemic population.

Meanwhile, the starch-resistant PBW RS1 variety has high amylose starch content, known to reduce the risk of type-2 diabetes and heart diseases. It will ensure that glucose is released slowly into the bloodstream. It has 30.3 per cent starch-resistant content as against only 7.5-10 per cent in other varieties and has 56.63 per cent amylose compared to only 21-22 per cent in other varieties.

“The new varieties have medicinal value, so we have tied up with Markfed that will cultivate these variety and launch an iron rich and starch-resistant wheat flour in the market. A few farmers have also shown interest in buying the seeds for their own consumption,” said the VC.

The seeds of both these varieties will be available at the upcoming Kisan Melas of the university to be held this month.