A better understanding of bananas could help prevent blindness
- Date:
- April 20, 2016
- Source:
- American Chemical Society
- Summary:
- Carotenoids, which are found at various levels in different banana cultivars, are important vitamin precursors for eye health. In a new study, researchers report a new understanding of how the fruit makes and stores the compound. Their findings could someday help in the development of banana varieties with enhanced health benefits.
FULL STORY
Bananas (stock image).
Credit: © yurakp / Fotolia
Carotenoids, which are found at various
levels in different banana cultivars, are important vitamin precursors
for eye health. In a study published in ACS' Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,
researchers report a new understanding of how the fruit makes and
stores the compound. Their findings could someday help in the
development of banana varieties with enhanced health benefits.
Vitamin A deficiency is rampant in Africa and Southeast Asia, causing
an estimated 250,000 to 500,000 children to become permanently blind
each year, the researchers note. Even worse, half of those children die
within a year of losing their sight. To combat vitamin A deficiency,
other researchers have been investigating methods to boost carotenoids
in bananas, because these compounds--which turn fruits and vegetables
red, orange or yellow--are converted into vitamin A in the liver.
However, this approach has been hindered by a lack of understanding of
how bananas produce and store carotenoids. So Cara L. Mortimer and
colleagues wanted to address this gap.
The researchers studied two banana varieties to find out why they make very different amounts of carotenoids. They found that the pale yellow, low-carotenoid Cavendish variety produces more of an enzyme that breaks down carotenoids. In addition, the orange Asupina variety stashes its carotenoids in microscopic sacs during ripening, shifting the chemical equilibrium in the fruit so it can make even higher levels of these substances. The researchers say their work will provide insights for future developments in the biofortification and breeding of bananas that contain more carotenoids.
The authors acknowledge funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Department for International Development (U.K.).
The researchers studied two banana varieties to find out why they make very different amounts of carotenoids. They found that the pale yellow, low-carotenoid Cavendish variety produces more of an enzyme that breaks down carotenoids. In addition, the orange Asupina variety stashes its carotenoids in microscopic sacs during ripening, shifting the chemical equilibrium in the fruit so it can make even higher levels of these substances. The researchers say their work will provide insights for future developments in the biofortification and breeding of bananas that contain more carotenoids.
The authors acknowledge funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Department for International Development (U.K.).
Story Source:
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
The above post is reprinted from materials provided by American Chemical Society. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Journal Reference:
- Stephen Buah, Bulukani Mlalazi, Harjeet Khanna, James L Dale, Cara L Mortimer. The Quest for Golden Bananas: Investigating Carotenoid Regulation in a Fe’i Group Musa Cultivar. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2016; DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5b05740
Cite This Page:
American
Chemical Society. "A better understanding of bananas could help prevent
blindness." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 20 April 2016.
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