One-Eyed, One-Horned Flying Purple Tomato Eater
News reports say that researchers from the John Innes Center in the UK have grown a potentially cancer-preventing tomato. These tomatoes genetically altered to grow with the dark purple pigment anthocyanin are hoped to either prevent or reduce the effects of a number of chronic diseases including cancer.
When the purple tomatoes were fed to mice in the laboratory, their lives were significantly extended--and one can assume not simply over the excitement of eating a purple tomato!
Researchers conducting this study say its still too soon to tell how much an effect these GMOs will have on human health--and of course the key is still getting these veggies into people diets. But the successful introduction of this compound into the vegetable makes this GMO a huge success for metabolic engineering.
Oh--and one other thing: anthocyanin is found in snapdragon flowers naturally--but I wouldn't go out and start chewing on the petals. These researchers say that the best way to prevent cancer is still to eat a balanced, healthy diet--not to bulk up on this single compound.
Summer Johnson, PhD
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