The Molecular Biology and Plant Physiology group of the Botanical Institute of the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) and the Plant Genomics and Biotechnology group of the IBMCP-CSIC created a potato fortified with saffron that contains more antioxidants.
The research team inserted into the potato plant the saffron genes for the synthesis of crocins and picrocrocin (responsible for the organoleptic and medicinal properties of saffron), obtaining potato tubers with 360 µg/g of crocins and 800 µg/g of picrocrocin, in dry weight.
These modified potatoes have a greater antioxidant capacity. "It's a promising sign of the potential health benefits that these lines of action can have," the researchers stated. Researchers conducted bioaccessibility tests of these metabolites using different cooking techniques that allowed them to find out that these compounds have high bioaccessibility, "which indicates that the potato is an excellent way to supply crocins and picrocrocin while contributing to improving their nutritional value."
Researchers chose to work with potatoes because it is a commercially important crop worldwide, both for the fresh and processed food industry.
This joint work has been funded by the JCCM and the Ministry of Science and Innovation. The research was published in the Frontiers in Nutrition journal.
Plant apocarotenoids are used for their metabolic, physiological, and ecological activity in the food and pharmaceutical industry. Crocin and picrocrocin, which are responsible for the organoleptic and medicinal properties of saffron, are widely used as dyes, supplements, and nutraceuticals.
Source: uclm.es