Cereals represent an important source of beneficial compounds for human health, such as macro- and micronutrients, vitamins, and bioactive molecules. Generally, the consumption of whole-grain products is associated with significant health benefits, due to the elevated amount of dietary fiber (DF). However, the consumption of whole-grain foods is still modest compared to more refined products. In this sense, it is worth focusing on the increase of DF fractions inside the inner compartment of the seed, the endosperm, which represents the main part of the derived flour. The main components of the grain fiber are arabinoxylan (AX), β-glucan (βG), and resistant starch (RS). These three components are differently distributed in grains, however, all of them are represented in the endosperm. AX and βG, classified as non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), are in cell walls, whereas, RS is in the endosperm, being a starch fraction. As the chemical structure of DFs influences their digestibility, the identification of key actors involved in their metabolism can pave the way to improve their function in human health. Here, we reviewed the main achievements of plant biotechnologies in DFs manipulation in cereals, highlighting new genetic targets to be exploited, and main issues to face to increase the potential of cereals in fighting malnutrition.

谷物是对人类健康有益的化合物的重要来源，例如大量和微量营养素、维生素和生物活性分子。一般来说，由于膳食纤维 (DF) 含量较高，食用全谷物产品对健康有显着益处。然而，与更精制的产品相比，全麦食品的消费量仍然不大。从这个意义上说，值得关注的是种子内室（胚乳）内 DF 部分的增加，它代表了衍生面粉的主要部分。谷物纤维的主要成分是阿拉伯木聚糖（AX）、β-葡聚糖（βG）、抗性淀粉（RS）。这三种成分在谷物中的分布不同，但它们都存在于胚乳中。AX 和 βG 属于非淀粉多糖 (NSP)，位于细胞壁中，而 RS 位于胚乳中，是淀粉部分。由于 DF 的化学结构影响其消化率，因此识别参与其代谢的关键参与者可以为改善其在人类健康中的功能铺平道路。在此，我们回顾了植物生物技术在谷物 DF 操纵方面取得的主要成就，重点介绍了有待开发的新遗传靶标，以及提高谷物对抗营养不良的潜力所面临的主要问题。