Publications by authors named "Jana L Phan"
Plantago ovata is cultivated for production of its seed husk (psyllium). When wet, the husk transforms into a mucilage with properties suitable for pharmaceutical industries, utilised in supplements for controlling blood cholesterol levels, and food industries for making gluten-free products. There has been limited success in improving husk quantity and quality through breeding approaches, partly due to the lack of a reference genome.
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- The production and release of mucilage polysaccharides in Plantago ovata seeds differ significantly from those in the model plant Arabidopsis.
- Using microscopy, researchers observed that P. ovata seeds do not have a protective outer cell layer; instead, the mucilage forms a thin layer covering the entire seed and expands outward when wet.
- The initial hydrated mucilage layer, rich in pectin, accelerates hydration, while the bulk of the mucilage, mainly heteroxylan, provides structural integrity; the study highlights the complexity of mucilage synthesis and storage across different plant species.
Xylans are the most abundant non-cellulosic polysaccharide found in plant cell walls. A diverse range of xylan structures influence tissue function during growth and development. Despite the abundance of xylans in nature, details of the genes and biochemical pathways controlling their biosynthesis are lacking.
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