Lycopene Rich Tomato

Works goes in one direction but progress goes in another direction. Sometimes it so happens. Tomato scientists were working to improve tomatoes to introduce the traits for processing quality. But a new tomato formed accidentally which is rich in lycopene content.

The lycopene content in the new tomato is about 3.5 times more than other ordinary red tomatoes. The work was done by the USDA‘s Agricultural Research Centre and Purdue University, USA. The scientists are very happy from the accidental invention of the lycopene tomato at their laboratory.

The research scientists introduced a gene from yeast into tomato chromosome. They covalently inserted the yeast gene after a promoter gene which turns the yeast gene for lycopene production in tomato plants and tomato fruits.

There is another tomato variety that is naturally bred without the use of genetic engineering techniques. It is the tomato variety: Tesco. It is giant tomato variety found in British supermarket. Tomato breeders are still trying to improve tomato with the traits of several benefits including nutritional and medicinal values.

One of the principal constituents of tomato fruit is red coloring substance called as lycopene in addition to the presence of a variety of minerals and vitamins the tomato fruits have. Because of the presence of the biochemical, the nutritional and medicinal benefits of the tomato fruit are very high.

The lycopene is red coloring substance of tomato fruits. It is an antioxidant in human body system which delays the symptom development of several diseases including fatal cancer, cardiovascular diseases including coronary heart attack.

The lycopene also works to prevent aging phenomena in human body system. The presence of the lycopene as the antioxidant stops the cell damage from harmful free radicals in our body and prevents the aging phenomena. The lycopene also protects us from several life threatening diseases.  

 

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