Biofortified tomatoes may be the first gene-edited crops permitted for sale in England. Gene editing happens when scientists can 'switch off' a molecule in the genetic code, making it different from genetically modifying plants.
A team of researchers in Norwich has found that the gene-edited fruit produces more of a precursor to vitamin D3 when a specific molecule that normally converts this vitamin to cholesterol is blocked. When exposed to UV light, this precursor – provitamin D3 – can be converted to essential vitamin D3.
Prof Cathie Martin, who led the research at the John Innes Centre, said that the development, published in Nature Plants, could be hugely beneficial, reports PA.
“We’ve shown that you can biofortify tomatoes with provitamin D3 using gene editing, which means tomatoes could be developed as a plant-based, sustainable source of vitamin D3. Forty percent of Europeans have vitamin D insufficiency and so do one billion people worldwide.
“We are not only addressing a huge health problem, but are helping producers, because tomato leaves, which currently go to waste, could be used to make supplements from the gene-edited lines.”
The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 10 micrograms for adults.
Researchers suggest eating just two of the new tomatoes could make up for the gap between how much vitamin D people in the UK are consuming and how much they need. They also found that the amounts of provitamin D3 in one tomato – if converted to vitamin D3 – would equal levels present in two medium-sized eggs or 28 grams of tuna.
Data suggests that around one in five adults and one in six children do not have enough vitamin D. The body creates vitamin D after the skin is exposed to UVB light, but the major source is food.
Experts suggest this new biofortified crop could help millions of people with vitamin D insufficiency, a growing issue linked to higher risk of cancer, dementia, and many leading causes of death.
Later this week the Genetic Technologies (Precision Breeding) Bill is due to be introduced in the House of Lords. If passed, would see genetically-edited crops being allowed for sale commercially.
The method has been banned in the UK due to EU restrictions because of safety concerns. Now the UK is seeking to change the rules in genetically-edited food, but the regulations on GM crops are not affected. The regulations, if amended, would impact only on England at this stage.
