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http://www.nature.com/naturebiotechnology/
Web End = Enrichment of tomato fruit with health-promoting anthocyanins by expression of select transcription factors
http://www.nature.com/naturebiotechnology
Eugenio Butelli1, Lucilla Titta2, Marco Giorgio2, Hans-Peter Mock3, Andrea Matros3, Silke Peterek3, Elio G W M Schijlen4, Robert D Hall5, Arnaud G Bovy4, Jie Luo1 & Cathie Martin1
200 8 Nature Publishing Group
Dietary consumption of anthocyanins, a class of pigments produced by higher plants, has been associated with protection against a broad range of human diseases. However, anthocyanin levels in the most commonly eaten fruits and vegetables may be inadequate to confer optimal benets. When we expressed two transcription factors from snapdragon in tomato, the fruit of the plants accumulated anthocyanins at levels substantially higher than previously reported for efforts to engineer anthocyanin accumulation in tomato and at concentrations comparable to the anthocyanin levels found in blackberries and blueberries. Expression of the two transgenes enhanced the hydrophilic antioxidant capacity of tomato fruit threefold and resulted in fruit with intense purple coloration in both peel and esh. In a pilot test, cancer-susceptible Trp53/ mice fed a diet supplemented with the high-anthocyanin tomatoes showed a signicant extension of life span.
Anthocyanins are naturally occurring polyphenols present in many foods that are commonly consumed as part of the human diet. They offer protection against certain cancers, cardiovascular disease and age-related degenerative diseases14. There is evidence that anthocyanins also have anti-inammatory activity5, promote visual acuity6, and hinder obesity and diabetes7.
The health-promoting effects of anthocyanins have most frequently been linked to their high antioxidant activities8. Nonetheless, recent reports suggest that some of the biological effects of anthocyanins and avonols may be related to their ability to modulate mammalian cell signaling pathways9,10. Regardless of the mechanism, these benecial effects depend on relatively high levels of dietary anthocyanins.
Because anthocyanins as well as other health-promoting phytonutrients are present in relatively large amounts in fresh fruit and vegetables, the National Cancer Institute of America initiated the ve-a-day program more than 20 years ago. This promotes the consumption of at least ve portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Disappointingly, data from the campaign websites (http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/
Web End =http://www.fruit http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/
Web End =sandveggiesmatter.gov/ ; http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/5ADaySurveillance/
Web End =http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/5ADaySurveillance/ ) show that currently only B23% of the US population reach this
level of...