Wednesday May 2 10:38 AM ET
Genetically Engineered Tomato Is 'Heart-Smart'


NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Imagine a day when eating spaghetti sauce or pizza will give you an extra antioxidant boost, possibly decreasing your risk of heart disease.

That scenario may not be so far-fetched, according to British scientists at Unilever Research. They have inserted a gene from the petunia into tomatoes, boosting the production of flavonoids, a class of potent antioxidants that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

These heart-smart chemicals naturally occur in tomato skins and other foods, lead investigator Martine Verhoeyen and colleagues report in the May issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology. The inserted petunia gene increases flavonoid production almost 78-fold in the peels of the tomatoes--a level on par with that seen in onions.

``Flavonoids are a group of plant secondary metabolites thought to possess health-promoting properties. They occur naturally in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and flowers, and therefore form an integral part of the human diet,'' the authors write. Several ``studies suggest that increased consumption of flavonoids, as part of a balanced diet, may help to protect against cardiovascular disease.''

The gene inserted into the tomatoes codes for an enzyme, chalcone isomerase, that increases flavonoid biosynthesis, Verhoeyen and colleagues note. So far, the researchers have been able to grow four generations of the plants with the new gene.

It may be several years before these ``super'' tomatoes reach the local grocer, according to Verhoeyen. The tomatoes retained 65% of the beneficial flavonoid compounds when processed into paste, representing a 21-fold increase over regular tomato pastes, the authors note. What's more, a taste test showed the bioengineered fruits tasted no different than normal tomatoes.

``There is considerable interest in the development of food products from plants rich in protective vitamins or other compounds with potential health benefits,'' the authors write. ''These new varieties of tomato may offer opportunities for tomato-based products with an expanded range of potential health benefits.''

SOURCE: Nature Biotechnology 2001;19:470-474.

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