New research into plant colors sheds light on antioxidants

Scientists have made an important advance in understanding the genetic processes that give flowers, leaves and plants their bright colours. The knowledge could lead to a range of benefits, including better understanding of the cancer-fighting properties of plant pigments and new, natural food colourings. The research is highlighted in the new issue of Business from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

The scientists, at the John Innes Centre and Institute of Food Research in Norwich, have pinpointed a key group of enzymes involved in the production of plant pigments. The pigments, called anthocyanins, are what give some plants the vivid colours that they use to attract insects and foraging animals. They also give plants protection against environmental stresses and disease. Hundreds of different anthocyanins exist in nature, all with slightly different chemical compositions. The international research team, supported by BBSRC, identified the genes responsible for the enzymes which chemically modify anthocyanins to alter their properties.

Prof Cathie Martin at the John Innes Centre who co-led the project explains: “Using a new strategy, we conducted biochemical studies on the brassica plant Arabidopsis. We found that a small number of genes responsible for the enzymes that chemically modify anthocyanins were ‘switched on’ when the plants were making anthocyanins in response to stress.

“When we transferred these genes to a tobacco plant, the colour of the tobacco flowers changed slightly, confirming that these genes, and the enzymes that they produce, were indeed responsible for modifying anthocyanins.

“What’s more, these anthocyanins that had been modified by the enzymes were more stable than those that hadn’t. This is significant because stabilised anthocyanins could be used as natural food colourants to replace many artificial colours used in various foods. This improved understanding of the genetics of anthocyanins also provides a better platform for studying their antioxidant properties, important in the fight against cancer, cardiovascular disease and age-related degeneration.”

Source: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

Related stories:

Plant gene replacement results in the world's only blue rose
Australian and Japanese researchers have demonstrated the application of RNAi technology for gene replacement in plants, developing the world's only blue rose.
Getting forgetful? Then blueberries may hold the key
If you are getting forgetful as you get older, then a research team from the University of Reading and the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England may have good news for you.
Why do autumn leaves bother to turn red?
Soils may dictate the array of fall colors as much as the trees rooted in them, according to a forest survey out of North Carolina.
Compounds that color fruits and veggies may protect against colon cancer
Understanding the molecular structures of compounds that give certain fruits and vegetables their rich colors may help researchers find even more powerful cancer fighters, a new study suggests.
New study suggests Concord grape juice may provide protection against breast cancer
Every three minutes, a woman in the United States is diagnosed with breast cancer. While factors like age and heredity contribute significantly to a woman’s likelihood of contracting this disease, lifestyle and nutrition choices may also play a role. One dietary choice that may help provide protection against breast cancer is a glass of 100 percent grape juice made from deep purple Concord grapes.
Found - the apple gene for red
CSIRO researchers have located the gene that controls the colour of apples – a discovery that may lead to bright new apple varieties.
Researcher Puts Gas Under Pressure for Supercritical Fluid Extraction
On his laboratory desk, University of Arkansas researcher Jerry King has a small display with three vials. The first vial contains small chocolate candies. Another vial is three-quarters full of the cream-colored, liquid fat he extracted from the candies. The third vial contains shrunken balls of chocolate without fat.
Brazilian acai berry antioxidants absorbed by human body
A Brazilian palm berry, popular health food though little research has been done on it, now may have its purported benefits better understood. In the first research involving people, the acai (ah-sigh-EE) berry has proven its ability to be absorbed in the human body when consumed both as juice and pulp. That finding, by a team of Texas AgriLife Research scientists, was published in a recent issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

News discussion:

General Science news