Tomatoes are better in the summer. Two studies show that with a little help from gene editing, Sun-ripened tomatoes can also have a beneficial effect on the health of the body.
Esther van der Knaap is a plant geneticist at the University of Georgia. Plants that are biofortified can help vegan get enough of the food. Susan Lanham-New says the finding opens up a very exciting new era for vitamins.
The body uses calcium in ways that lead to stronger bones. There is evidence that low levels are linked to higher risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems.
People living in high latitudes aren't exposed to enough UVB, which can cause your body to synthesise the vitamins. Age or darker skin can slow the synthesis of vitamins D and E.
Fish, eggs, and liver can be found in animal products. Milk is sold in the United States and a few other countries. Mushroom and yeast are not an effective vegan source. Lanolin, a waxy substance produced by sheep, is often used to make supplement pills. The sheep can get a lot of vitamins by licking the lanolin off their wool.
Two groups thought genetic tweaking could turn tomatoes into an animal-free source of vitamins.
A team led by a plant metabolic engineer at the John Innes Centre reported in Nature Plants that they were able to create tomatoes with 20% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamins D and E. A group led by a plant geneticist at the National University of Singapore reported in a March preprint that they were able to produce tomatoes with higher levels of vitamins D and E.
Tomatoes and other plants in the Solanaceae family make a precursor called provitamin D3 but then convert it into other compounds using two genes called 7-DR1 and 7-DR2 The researchers suspected that if the genes were knocked out, the plant would accumulate provitamin D3 which people can use.
It worked. Martin's team decided to knock out 7-DR2 because it helps plants deal with stress from pests. The modified plants grew normally because of the intact 7-DR1 After exposure to sunlight, each ripe tomato should give you as much D3 as two medium eggs. The researchers found that slicing the tomato first and drying them in the sun would increase the content. The leaves and stems of fortified plants could be used to make vitamins D and E.
7-DR1 is involved in making growth hormones. The researchers estimate that a modified tomato can contain up to 100 micrograms of provitamin D3 after a month of freeze-dried storage.
The modified tomatoes have been grown in a laboratory. Choe hopes to start a field trial this summer. Plants will be tested to see if they can survive under real-world stress. Researchers will need to show that the body can convert the pre-vitamin D3 in tomatoes into the required levels of the sun's rays.
Kevin Cashman is a nutrition scientist at University College Cork. If the biofortified tomatoes make it to market, they could mark a leap forward in decreasing our dependence on animal-based foods.
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