DAVIS, CALIF. — The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted Arcadia Biosciences, Inc. a patent for its resistant starch wheat lines, the company said Oct. 12.

Resistant starch, a form of dietary fiber, is digested more slowly than regular starch, which results in a slower release of glucose into the bloodstream, according to Arcadia Biosciences. Because of the slower release, food products made with resistant starch wheat may have a lower glycemic index.

Eric Rey, president and c.e.o. of Arcadia Biosciences

“Because wheat is the world’s largest cultivated crop, it’s a key focus for the health-promoting benefits of resistant starch,” said Eric Rey, president and chief executive officer of Arcadia Biosciences, an agricultural technology company based in Davis. “RS wheat creates the potential for wheat-based foods like pasta, bread and other baked foods with higher fiber and fewer additives. Foods like these may taste and perform like those made with refined wheat, but have significant additional health benefits. This could make a great contribution to global health and represents a major financial opportunity for Arcadia.”

Arcadia Biosciences developed the wheat lines by using the company’s proprietary wheat genetic diversity library, which is a resource of wheat lines with high-density variations in genetic composition and gene function. A grant from the U.S. National Institutes for Health helped to fund the resistant starch wheat project.