Study reveals blueberry secrets
(麻豆淫院Org.com) -- Blueberries are one of our favourite fruits and no wonder鈥攖hey鈥檙e tasty and they鈥檙e good for us. They鈥檙e rich in antioxidants, substances that can help reduce the natural cell damage in our aging bodies that can lead to cancer, heart disease and other ailments.
Now, a research team led by University of Victoria plant biologist Dr. Peter Constabel has become the first in the world to reveal鈥攁t a molecular genetic level鈥攈ow blueberries ripen and produce antioxidants known as flavonoids.
鈥淲e already knew a lot about the chemical composition of blueberries, but until now very little about how flavonoid antioxidants are formed by the fruit as it ripens,鈥� says Constabel. 鈥淭his new knowledge has tremendous potential for BC鈥檚 blueberry industry and, ultimately, for our health.鈥�
In the study, published recently in the international journal, Plant 麻豆淫院iology, the team used advanced genomics tools to identify a large number of genes in ripening blueberries. In the process, they quadrupled the number of newly discovered blueberry genes鈥攊nformation that is now available in public databases.
More specifically, the team identified genes that鈥攁s the berries ripen鈥攁re turned off during the molecular process that makes bitter (but healthy) compounds known as tannins and switched on when the berry鈥檚 trademark blue-purple flavonoid pigments are produced.
They also conducted a detailed chemical analysis of the flavonoids, and determined that the skin of blueberries contains the greatest variety and quantity of these health-promoting chemicals. And, working with researchers in Saskatchewan, they identified a plant hormone that appears to play a key role in blueberry ripening.
鈥淧lant breeders can use our results to select for high antioxidant berry varieties and to try and get greater control over the ripening process,鈥� says Constabel, noting that study partners included berry farmers and scientists from a range of government agencies in the agriculture, biotechnology and horticulture sectors.
Canada is the world鈥檚 third largest producer of high-bush blueberries. Ninety-eight per cent of the country鈥檚 $1-billion blueberry crop comes from BC where more than 700 farmers produce over 40 million kg of berries annually.
The study is the first of its kind to look at blueberries from a molecular and multidisciplinary perspective, says Constabel. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know of any other fruit where all of these research tools have been applied in one study.鈥�
Provided by University of Victoria
