Research findings have brought to the forefront , the strong antioxidant potential of betalains , making them potential candidates to produce health foods and combat various diseases . weight loss and disease activity index was observed through the suppression of the DSSstimulated transcription of proinflammatory genes – genes for Tnf-α , Il6 and Cox-2 ,” adds Prof . Arimura , while discussing the results derived from the other experiment in mice . Moreover , the additive and synergistic action of betacyanin with natural fruit components ( such as lycopene in tomato ) further boosted the amelioration of colitis in murine models . Interestingly , while significant antiinflammatory effects were observed with transgenic tomato extracts at 100 – 1000-fold dilutions , this was not the case with transgenic potatoes , despite substantial production of betanin and isobetanin . The reason for this is speculated to be the presence of unknown antagonists in transgenic potatoes that work against betacyanin ’ s anti-inflammatory function , but is yet to be confirmed .
“ Tomatoes genetically engineered to produce betacyanins were found to have substantial
health promoting effects . Although natural plant sources of betalains such as beetroots exist , these pigments demonstrate poor stability in high temperatures and extreme pH . This indicates that betacyanin producing transgenic tomato lines are more likely to be effective as health foods when ingested in their raw state ,” summarizes Prof . Arimura .
What are the potential applications of these findings ? He further adds , “ Although there is no commercial cultivation of edible genetically modified crops in Japan , we expect that their applications as health foods through production in enclosed plant factories and other facilities will lead to the widespread use of recombinant plants in Japan .”
We are confident that betalain engineering will soon become a promising avenue to improve the commercial production of health foods , that boost food supply while simultaneously conferring health benefits to its consumers .
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BioVoiceNews | March 2023