In a greenhouse of the ARS Vegetable Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, plant physiologist Autar Mattoo examines tomato plants genetically engineered to enhance phytonutrient content and longevity of the fruite Photo: Scot Bauer/USDA

The collaborative research has been conducted by the US-based Purdue University’s Avtar Handa, Italian National Research Agency’s Annalaura Segre and Agricultural Research Service’s plant physiologist Autar K Mattoo, according to a report by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.

The research group found this to be true when it grew transgenic and non-transgenic tomato lines in black plastic and hairy vetch mulch. The transformed gene created higher levels of polyamines (organic nitrogen compounds) which make tomato plants more robust and the fruit highly nutritious and tasty and indicated the polyamines may generate signals that operate the metabolic process for fruits to produce more phytonutrients.     

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Mattoo’s findings showed that there were parallels in the way tomatoes responded to extra polyamines produced by the new gene, the unidentified compounds and signals from the hairy vetch mulch.

He noted a significant increases in amino acids and choline (an essential micronutrient for brain development, as well as other nutrients and antioxidants in both the transgenic and non-transgenic plants grown in hairy vetch.

 By Amnah Ali

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