Leading scientists studying the health properties of Wild Blueberries presented their latest findings related to the positive link between antioxidant-rich berry consumption and disease prevention at the 2009 Berry Health Benefits Symposium. Wild Blueberries have been central to research exploring the role of diet in disease prevention and management of age-related health risks. Recent discoveries attribute potential health benefits of the Wild Blueberry to antioxidants such as anthocyanin, anti-inflammatories and other natural compounds found throughout the deep blue Wild Blueberry. Wild Blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity per serving compared with more than 20 other fruits. (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2004; 52:4026-4037) Antioxidants help protect against disease and age-related health risks by battling against free radicals – unstable oxygen molecules associated with cancer, heart disease and the effects of aging. In addition to fighting oxidative stress, Wild Blueberries are now thought to have powerful anti-inflammatory properties.

According to Susan Davis, MS, RD, Nutrition Advisor to the Wild Blueberry Association of North America, researchers are active in many areas of study. “Research is underway exploring the potential positive effects of Wild Blueberry consumption on vision, cardiovascular health, protecting the brain from age-related deficits like Alzheimer’s and dementia, and cancer prevention,” said Davis. “The national Berry Symposium offered researchers the opportunity to share insights about the health-promoting potential of native berries like Wild Blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, raspberries and blackberries,” continued Davis.

“The Wild Blueberry industry has a long-standing commitment to health research, which has led to exciting discoveries about the berries potential health benefits,” said Wild Blueberry Association President J. Kim Higgins. ” Current research supports our education efforts encouraging people to eat Wild Blueberries every day for optimal nutrition. Readily available in the supermarket frozen fruit case, Wild Blueberries are the best berry to have on hand for every day use,” continued Higgins.
Wild Blueberry research has been led by a core group known as the Bar Harbor Group. Leading scientists from the U.S. and Canada participate in an annual Wild Blueberry health research summit to share current findings and advance collaborations into new areas.

The Berry Health Benefits Symposium is an outgrowth of efforts by the National Berry Crops Initiative (NBCI), a collaborative partnership of industry, academia and government focused on policy and programs that support the continued growth and sustainability of berry crops in the United States. Wild Blueberry Commission Executive Director David Bell serves as Board President and current berry crop representation on NBCI includes strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cultivated blueberries, cranberries, lingonberries, currants and gooseberries. The NBCI fosters berry health benefits research as well as promotion of related health and nutrition benefits. In addition to Bell’s NBCI leadership, Wild Blueberry Association nutritionist Susan Davis serviced as chair of the National Berry Health Benefits Symposium’s public relations committee.

Propolis, an extremely complex resinous material gathered by honeybees from various plant sources, exhibits valuable pharmacological and biological properties attributed to the presence of polyphenols.

This study examined the antibacterial, antiradical and antioxidant activities of propolis from different provenances and correlated the values with total levels of polyphenolic compounds and flavonoids. Besides, individual contents of those polyphenols with antioxidant ability were determined and related with their bioactivity.

Analyzed samples presented a noticeable variability in their antioxidant and antiradical activities, although, linear relationships were found between them and also between polyphenol and flavonoid total levels.

Propolis antiradical and protective abilities against lipid oxidation are related to its high levels of polyphenols, but their correlations with individual active-compound contents were not simple.

Antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus of the samples presented low variability. This bioactivity is assigned to pinocembrin, present in high concentrations in all the samples studied. Good correlation was found between such activity and pinocembrin content. Linear relationships between antibacterial activity and polyphenol and flavonoid total levels were also found.

More than twenty acclaimed researchers presented the results of their latest studies on the positive effects of berries on human health at the 2009 Berry Health Benefits Symposium. Evidence continues to mount on the link between consumption of colorful berries — such as blueberries, cranberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries — and living a longer, healthier life.

The latest research from the world’s leading scientists demonstrate the impact that berries have on health-related issues such as brain aging, cancer, cardiovascular disease and metabolism. Data suggests that berry properties like antioxidants, anthocyanins, elagitannins and polyphenols play a vital role in fighting disease.

“We continue to be encouraged by new research that confirms that the dietary intake of berry fruits has a positive and profound impact on overall health, performance and disease,” said Dr. Jim Joseph, Director of the Neuroscience Laboratory, USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University. “This is an exciting time for both researchers and consumers as we continue to discover new ways to promote optimal health.”

Research Overview

Following is a list of the studies that are now available. To review the abstracts, please visit: www.berryhealth.org

“Exploring the Biological Activity of Berry Ellagitannin Metabolites”
Francisco A. Tomas Barberan, Ph.D., University of Murcia, Spain

“Cardiovascular Actions of Procyanidin-rich Foods and Beverages”
Roger Corder, Ph.D., William Harvey Research Institute of London

“Healthy Eating: Bioavailability of Dietary Flavonoids and Phenolics”
Alan Crozier Ph.D., University of Glasgow, Scotland

“Berry Consumption in Humans: Bioavailability of Polyphenols and Effects on Cardiovascular Risk Factors”

Iris Erlund, Ph.D., National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland

“Anticancer Activity of Cranberry Extracts”

Peter Ferguson, Ph.D., University of Western Ontario and London Regional Cancer Program

“Health Promoting Foods: The Strawberry”

Britt Burton Freeman, Ph.D., National Center for Food Safety and Technology (NCFST), Illinois Institute of Technology, IIT, UC Davis

“Behavioral Effects of Berries in Aging and Aging Radiation Models”
Barbara Shukitt-Hale, Ph.D., USDA-ARS, Tufts University

“Effect of Jam Processing and Storage on Polyphenolics and Antioxidant Capacity of Blueberries”

Luke Howard, Ph.D., University of Arkansas

“Bacterial Anti-adhesion Activity of Cranberry Proanthocyanidins”

Amy Howell, Ph.D., Marucci Center for Blueberry & Cranberry Research, Rutgers University

“‘Brainberries’ and Aging: Down with the ‘Bad Signals’ up with the ‘Good’”

Jim Joseph, Ph.D., USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University

“Recent Research on Blueberries and Vision”
Dr. Wilhemina Kalt, Ph.D., Agriculture and Agri-Foods Canada

“Interventions in Cognitive Aging”
Robert Krikorian, Ph.D., University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine

“Alaska Wild Blueberries and Neuroinflammatory Signaling
Thomas B. Kuhn, Ph.D., University of Fairbanks, Alaska

“Berry Resources and Human Health Under the Cloud of Climate Change”
Mary Ann Lila, Ph.D., North Carolina Research Campus at Kanapolis

“Xenobiotic Metabolism and Berry Flavonoid Transport Across the Blood Brain Barrier”

Paul Millbury, Ph.D. and Wilheimina Kalt, Ph.D., Tufts University

“Epidemiological Evidence of Antioxidant Nutrients and Brain Health”

Martha Clare Morris, Ph.D., Rush Institute for Healthy Aging, Rush University Medical Center

“Topical Black Raspberry Extract and Skin Cancer”
Tatiana Oberyszyn, Ph.D., Ohio State University

“Anthocyanins and Other Factors in Berries that Affect Development of Obesity”

Ron Prior, Ph.D., USDA-ARS, Arkansas Children’s Nutrition

“Raspberries and Human Health: Time for Recognition”

Venket Rao, Ph.D., and Dawn Snyder, Department of Nutritional Services, University of Toronto

“Berry Tannins and Gut Health”
Jess Reed, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin

“Human Clinical Trials with Colon Cancer and Black Raspberries”
Gary Stoner, Ph.D., Ohio State University

“Cyanidin-3-Rutinoside, a Natural Polyphenol Antioxidant, Selectively Kills Leukemic Cells by Induction of Oxidative Stress”

Xiao-Ming Yin, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Complete studies will be published in the Journal of Agricultural & Food Chemistry Winter 2009.

About the National Berry Crops Initiative

The NBCI is a partnership of industry, academia and government formed to foster the U.S. berry industries.

About the California Strawberry Commission

The California Strawberry Commission is a state government agency that represents an industry of more than 500 growers and 60 shippers and processors of California strawberries. With a focus on food safety education, Commission strategies also include production and nutrition research, trade relations, public policy and marketing communications.

For more information, contact the California Strawberry Commission at 831-724-1301.

For more details on the event, please visit www.berryhealth.org

Glucosinolates are the biologically active components in broccoli that are highly touted as antioxidants, boosting immune health, respiratory health, and cardiovascular health. They are an example of the so-called “bioactive” compounds in produce that are good for consumers. According to Howard Constant, president of Seminis Vegetable Seeds, Woodland, CA, companies like his are making strides in breeding new plant varieties that will deliver more concentrated amounts of bioactives to the consumer.

“We’re looking at opportunities beyond the seed,” Constant said at the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo®. A produce industry that has traditionally been driven by population growth is now also being driven by crop innovation and the addition of value-added products with an extra boost of the healthy stuff.

This is only part of the research being conducted on bioactive compounds such as glucosinolates and lycopene. Lycopene is a substance in tomatoes that is high in beneficial carotene. Diane M. Barrett, University of California, Davis, CA, is looking at the quality of bioactives in produce during and after processing. Nutrients can be drastically affected, depending on type of harvest, washing, cooling, packing, sorting, processing, and transportation.

“At every point here you have the potential for changes in these bioactive compounds,” Barrett said. For example, bioactives can diminish with an increase in the distance your food travels to your table.

Storage temperature can have a large effect on bioactives, Barrett said, with refrigeration slowing enzyme activity that breaks down cells containing bioactives. Cell integrity can be lost through heat or high pressure processing. Growers, packers, transporters and retailers all have a role in making sure the consumer’s glucosinolates arrive in good shape.
“There are many things that can affect the bioactives in foods,” said Alyson Mitchell, Barrett’s colleague at the University of California, Davis. That includes farming procedures from production to harvest.

The importance of this is illustrated with tomatoes. Tomatoes are the second most consumed produce item in North America, 71 pounds per capita per year. They are loaded with vitamins and minerals, carotenoids, potassium, flavonoids, phenolic acids, and glycoalkaloids.

Another scientist at the University of California, Davis, Jean-Xavier Guinard, is testing the sensory properties of bioactives in vegetables. He said that increased bioactivity can come with severe drawbacks, including that they may not taste or smell very good in more concentrated forms.

“Bioctive properties in vegetables present a lot of challenges,” Guinard said. They may be bitter or astringent, and that could get worse with aging and cooking. A lot needs to be done when delivering glucosinolates and lycopenes to the dinner table.

Sources:
Howard Constant
Seminis Vegetable Seeds
howard.l.constant@seminis.com

Diane M. Barrett, Ph.D.
University of California Davis
dmbarrett@ucdavis.edu

Alyson Mitchell, Ph.D.
University of California Davis
aemitchell@ucdavis.edu

Jean-Xavier Guinard, Ph.D.
University of California Davis
jxguinard@ucdavis.edu

About IFT
Founded in 1939, the Institute of Food Technologists is a nonprofit scientific society with more than 20,000 individual members working in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. IFT serves as a conduit for multidisciplinary science thought leadership, championing the use of sound science through knowledge sharing, education, and advocacy. For more information on IFT, visit www.ift.org.

Natural treatments may help improve the quality of life for more than 21 million osteoarthritis (OA) sufferers, according to new research presented at the 2009 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo®. Studies show that a novel, natural chicken derivative is more effective and longer-lasting than traditional chondroitin and glucosamine treatments.

OA causes localized joint inflammation, often with crippling effects. Conventional medicines used to treat OA include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, which can cause gastric injury. Alternatives such as rofecoxib and valdecoxib increase the rise of cardiovascular dysfunctions, including stroke. The new natural arthritis treatments do not have these side effects, making them more appealing to those with arthritis symptoms.

Studies show that UC-II, a novel undenatured type II collagen derived from chicken sternum cartilage, decreased arthritis pain scores by 33 percent, compared to 14 percent in groups treated with glucosamine and chondroitin. “In addition, the UC-II continued to work even after the glucosamine-chondroitin results plateaued, making it more effective over time,” said Manashi Bagchi, Ph.D., of Interhealth Nutraceuticals, Inc., Benicia, CA.

In studies with arthritic dogs and horses, daily treatment with UC-II markedly alleviated arthritis symptom as well. The natural supplements were tolerated well with no adverse effects.

These natural treatments may also help other maladies with inflammatory components, including cancer and stroke, according to Cameron Rink, Ph.D., assistant professor from Ohio State University. For example, glutamate, the most abundant neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, is released during pathological insults (such as a brain injury or stroke). This results in the loss of glutathione, the cell’s innate antioxidant. A demethylated derivative of curcumin, from the Indian spice, was shown to be potent in protecting the loss of glutathione. “We are now looking for ways to increase its bioavailability,” said Dr. Rink.

Another study showed boswellic acid, a gum resin also known as Indian Frankincense, reduced inflammation and elicited a marked reduction in edema levels in arthritis patients.

Other supplements such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids show anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity. Avocado and soybean oils also eased symptoms. “An extract composed of 1/3 avocado oil and 2/3 soybean oil inhibits inflammatory cytokine and stimulates collagen production,” said Debasis Bagchi, Ph.D., from the University of Houston, TX. Other promising anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving arthritis treatments include New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussels, ginger, nobiletin (a citrus flavonoids isolated from tangerines), bromelain (from pineapple), nettle leaves, hyaluronic acid, and glucosamine.

About IFT
Founded in 1939, the Institute of Food Technologists is a nonprofit scientific society with more than 20,000 individual members working in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. IFT serves as a conduit for multidisciplinary science thought leadership, championing the use of sound science through knowledge sharing, education, and advocacy. For more information on IFT, visit www.ift.org.

Researchers say a natural supplement made from tomatoes, taken daily, can hold off heart disease and strokes.

The tomato pill contains lycopene – said to block “bad” LDL cholesterol that can clog the arteries.

Ateronon, is being launched as a dietary supplement and will be sold on the high street.

Experts said more trials were needed to see how effective the treatment is. Preliminary trials involving around 150 people with heart disease indicate that Ateronon can reduce the oxidation of harmful fats in the blood to almost zero within eight weeks.

Neuroscientist Peter Kirkpatrick, who will lead a further research project at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge on behalf of Cambridge Theranostics Ltd, said the supplement could be much more effective than statin drugs that are currently used by doctors to treat high cholesterol.

Professor Peter Weissberg of the British Heart Foundation said: “As always, we caution people to wait for any new drug or modified ‘natural’ product to be clinically proven to offer benefits before taking it.

“It will take some time, and several clinical trials, to provide such evidence for Ateronon.

“In the meantime, our advice to heart disease patients or those at high risk is to rely on proven medications prescribed by their doctor, and aim to get the benefits of a Mediterranean diet by eating plenty of fresh fruit and veg.”

He said the British Heart Foundation had supported some of the basic science at Cambridge University underpinning the development of the product.

Professor Anthony Leeds, trustee of the cholesterol charity Heart UK, said: “The new lycopene product Ateronon represents an entirely new approach to the treatment of high blood cholesterol and opens up the exciting possibility.” He said the preliminary findings were “very promising”.

Lycopene is an antioxidant contained in the skin of tomatoes which gives them their red colour. But lycopene ingested in its natural form is poorly absorbed.

Ateronon contains a refined, more readily absorbed version of lycopene that was originally developed by Nestle.

Dr Peter Coleman of The Stroke Association said: “We know that diets rich in antioxidants are beneficial in reducing the plaque build up and welcome the findings of this research.”

The final meeting of the project will take place in Istanbul on May 25-26 at the ITU Foundation Building, Maçka, one of the international partners joining the study.

During the two-days meeting, researchers will show the major outcomes of the project focusing on the main steps ahead in the study on flavonoids, that were shown to protect against a large number of dis-eases, from cardiovascular disease to certain types of cancer.

FLORA started off with a crucial issue: the diet followed by the majority of people living in the Western world does not appear to be sufficient to guarantee an adequate intake of flavonoids and other polyphe-nols , present in many fruits and vegetables. The Western diet model has quickly swapped the good eating habits for more saturated fats and “touch and go” meals, quitting the protection offered by these natural supplements mainly contained in fruits and vegetables.
Thus millions of people lack these helpful natural compounds and need to find new ways to make up for the nutrients they need.

So far, FLORA researchers have tested high-polyphenols content foods on animals obtaining surprising beneficial effects both on cardiovascular disease and cancer. The study has also tested several types of food to evaluate their antioxidant capacity in order to establish new ways to preserve the maximum fla-vonoid amount often lost during industrial processing.
A trial has been performed by the group in Campobasso, Italy, to study the effects of Sicilian blood or-ange juice consumption on the vascular function of human volunteers. Results will be discussed during the final meeting.

AGENDA

FLORA FINAL MEETING May 25-26, 2009 ISTANBUL – TURKEY
Venue: ITU Foundation Building, Maçka, Istanbul-TURKEY

The FLORA Project

Funded by the European Commission within the 6th framework program (FP6-Food-CT-2005-007130), the FLORA Project aims at gaining further evidence on the dynamics triggered by flavonoids, establish-ing a forefront in Europe for the study of association among these compounds and cardiovascular dis-ease, myocardial infarction and cancer. FLORA researchers are involved in the field of flavonoids con-tained in different vegetables, such as corn, tomatoes and an experimental plant called Arabidopsis. Or-anges too are other protagonists of this study. They are rich in flavonoids and phenolics by their own na-ture. FLORA’s vegetables and fruits have something more: the amount of antioxidant has been enriched in order to optimize their natural beneficial effects. Moreover, they are additive free and have been pro-duced in full respect of healthy parameters. There is no risk of unexpected surprises but just a measured increase in terms of nutrition. Promoting health through a balanced and correct diet, in respect for dif-ferent food traditions of European Countries, is the mission of FLORA.
Research Centres from different European Countries participate to the Project.

FLORA Partners

John Innes Centre, Norwich, United Kingdom

Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy

Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Gatersleben, Germany

Research Laboratories, Catholic University, Campobasso, Italy

Plant Research International, Wageningen, The Netherlands

TIMC-IMAG, PRETA Coeur & Nutrition, CNRS UMR 5525- UJF- INP, Faculté de Médicine, Université de Grenoble, France

Istanbul Technical University, Turkey

Congenia SRL, Italy

Istituto Sperimentale per l’Agrumicoltura, Italy

Ortogel, Italy

Biopolo SRL, Italy

Unigen has received a new US utility patent for Univestin, a proprietary joint care product, with claims for alleviating joint discomfort and stiffness, and improving mobility, range of motion, flexibility and physical function.

The new patent (7,514,469) is the third US patent for Univestin and its claims cover compositions that comprise an extract derived from Scutellaria enriched for free-B-ring flavonoids, combined with an extract derived from Acacia enriched for flavans. The novel compositions were discovered by screening Unigen’s proprietary Phytologix collection of medicinal plant extracts to identify natural substances that inhibit the pro-inflammation enzymes cyclooxygenase (“COX 1 and COX 2”) and 5’-lipoxygenase (“LOX”). The claims associated with the newly issued patent also cover formulations of bioflavonoid extracts from Scutellaria and Acacia in combination with other well-known joint care ingredients such as glucosamine, chondroitin, vitamin D, and calcium.

Unigen’s Chief Science Officer and the patent’s lead inventor Dr. Qi Jia said “The synergistic effects of the distinct bioflavonoid mixture derived from two well-known medicinal plants are truly remarkable. We utilized extensive in vitro and in vivo testing to demonstrate that Univestin provides rapid and long lasting relief of both joint discomfort and impaired physical function through modulating the COX and LOX pathways as well as the pro-inflammatory cytokine system”.

Unigen and its commercial partners have conducted multiple human clinical trials to demonstrate the significant joint health benefits of Univestin. The proprietary composition is currently used in a number of leading nationally distributed dietary supplement joint care products.

Recognizing growing consumer demand for natural solutions for improved joint health, Dr. Ed Cannon, CEO and President of Unigen stated that “Unigen will continue to expand Univestin geographically into new global markets and to further develop Univestin and other related compositions for additional benefits, including oral care, metabolic disorders, and animal joint health”. The new patent will further strengthen Univestin’s position in the joint health market as a leading provider of effective, safe and affordable natural solutions for the dietary supplement, food, cosmetics, personal care and pharmaceutical industries.

About Unigen Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Unigen is a global leader in the discovery and development of proprietary natural ingredients for the dietary supplement, food, cosmetics, personal care and pharmaceutical industries. The company has one of the most extensive medicinal plant collections in the world and utilizes a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical discovery approach to identify the most safe and effective botanically-based proprietary ingredients. The efficacy of Unigen’s natural product ingredients is established through human clinical trials, and unlike synthetic drugs, Unigen’s natural substances have a legacy of safe human consumption without the undesirable side-effects that limit the use of pharmaceuticals. Unigen protects its discoveries through patents and commercializes its products through alliances with partners that possess distribution and marketing capabilities in each of Unigen’s target markets.

Darker colors in leafy vegetables are often signs of antioxidants that are thought to have a variety of health benefits. Now a team of plant physiologists has developed a way to make lettuce darker and redder—and therefore healthier—using ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs).

Steven Britz of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Beltsville, Md., and colleagues will present the research at the 2009 Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics/International Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/IQEC), which takes place May 31 to June 5 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

The dark red tinges on a leaf of red leaf lettuce are the plant kingdom’s equivalent of suntan lotion. When bombarded with ultraviolet rays from the sun, the lettuce leaf creates UV-absorbing polyphenolic compounds in its outer layer of cells. Some of these compounds are red and belong to the same family that gives color to berries and apple skin. They help block ultraviolet radiation, which can mutate plant DNA and damage the photosynthesis that allows a plant to make its food.

Polyphenolic compounds,which include flavonoids like quercetin and cyanidin, are also powerful antioxidants. Diets rich in antioxidants are thought to provide a variety of health benefits to human beings, from improving brain function to slowing the wear and tear of aging.

To create red leaf lettuce plants enriched with these compounds, Britz purchased low-power LEDs that shine with UVB light, a component of natural sunlight. In small quantities, this ultraviolet light allows humans to produce vitamin D, which has been cited for its health benefits. Britz exposed the plants to levels of UVB light comparable to those that a beach goer would feel on a sunny day, approximately 10 milliwatts per square meter.

After 43 hours of exposure to UVB light, the growing lettuce plants were noticeably redder than other plants that only saw white light. Though the team has yet to quantify this effect, it appears to increase as the intensity of the light increases. The effect also seems to be particularly sensitive to the wavelength used – peaking at 282 and 296 nanometers, and absent for longer wavelength UV. “We’ve been pleasantly surprised to see how effective the LEDs are, and are now testing how much exposure is required, and whether the light should be pulsed or continuous,” says Britz.

To cut transportation costs and feed the market in the wintertime, more produce is grown in greenhouses. Crops grown in the winter in northern climes receive very little UVB to begin with, and plants in greenhouses are further shielded from UVB by the glass walls. Ultraviolet LEDs could provide a way to replace and enhance this part of the electromagnetic spectrum to produce darker, more colorful lettuces.

Britz also discussed the potential for using UV LEDs to preserve nutrients in vegetables that have already been harvested. Previous experiments have shown that the peel of a picked apple stays redder for a longer period of time when exposed to ultraviolet light. UVB LEDs are a promising technology for irradiating vegetables stored at low temperatures to maintain or even boost the amount of phytonutrients they contain.

Presentation PTuA3, “Shedding light on nutrition,” Steven Britz, 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, June 2.

ABOUT CLEO/IQEC

With a distinguished history as one of the industry’s leading events on laser science, the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and the International Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/IQEC) is where laser technology was first introduced. CLEO/IQEC combines the strength of peer-reviewed scientific programming with an applications-focused exhibition to showcase the present and future of this technology. Sponsored by the American Physical Society’s (APS) Laser Science Division, the Institute of Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Photonics Society and the Optical Society (OSA), CLEO/IQEC provides an educational forum, complete with a dynamic Plenary, short courses, tutorials, workshops and more, on topics as diverse as its attendee base whose broad spectrum of interests range from biomedicine to defense to optical communications and beyond. For more information, visit the conference’s Web site at www.cleoconference.org.

A team of scientists based at UALR is developing flavonoid rich tomato plants strong enough to grow in space and survive Earth droughts and disease.

More than providing fresh produce for astronauts on extended missions to Mars, the research has important implications for developing crops resistant to drought and other stresses while improving the nutritional value of food.

Dr. Mariya Khodakovskaya, assistant professor of applied science, and Dr. Stephen Grace, associate professor of biology, at UALR – the University of Arkansas at Little Rock – and researchers at Arkansas State University and University of Central Arkansas are preparing to patent their new and effective ways to increase production of antioxidants in plants and make them more tolerant to stresses such as drought and disease.

“We are working now on tomatoes, but we are identifying mechanisms and genes that are responsible for other traits and can be used for other crops more important in countries that have droughts,” Khodakovskaya said. “It has implications for earth agriculture as well as space agriculture, which is why the project has been funded for three years by Arkansas Space Grant Consortium.”

The scientists believe future investments will promote collaborative partnerships between UALR and private and public institutions throughout Arkansas that will make UALR more competitive in attracting research dollars to further expand undergraduate and graduate studies in biology, chemistry, environmental sciences, and related disciplines.

A year when she was affiliated with North Carolina State University, Khodakovskaya placed her experiment growing cherry tomatoes aboard the International Space Station.

“It was the first transgenic tomato tested in space conditions,” she said.

Her transgenic tomato plants show dramatic increases in drought tolerance, vegetative biomass and fruit lycopene concentration. Studies in Arkansas and worldwide have shown that antioxidants such as lycopene are important in the prevention of cancer and many other chronic diseases. These established tomato plants are an excellent model for identification of novel means to enhance production of lycopene and other antioxidants in plants.

Grace, who earned his Ph.D. at Duke University, has focused his research on diverse aspects of plant biology, including biochemical analysis of secondary metabolic pathways to environmental signaling mechanisms and the physiology of stress on plants.

He and Khodakovskaya’s cross-linked research projects are supported by grants from the P3 Research Center of Arkansas NSF EPSCoR Program – the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research – and the Arkansas Space Grant Consortium.

Dr. Khodakovskaya will identify key genes and gene networks involved in stress tolerance and activation of antioxidant production in tomato plants. Her team will also create new reproducible biological source of antioxidants by establishment of highly productive tomato “hairy roots” cultures.

Dr. Grace works on the biochemistry of flavonoids, another important group of plant phytochemicals that act as health promoting antioxidants. Flavonoids have shown promise in protection against coronary heart disease, neuron damage, certain cancers, and other age-related diseases.

“For this reason, there is great interest in developing crops with optimized levels and composition of these high value natural products,” Grace said. “Our group studies the light regulation of flavonoid synthesis in tomato in order to develop strategies to increase flavonoid levels for improved nutritional content.”

Other scientists working on the project are Dr. Nawab Ali, research associate professor in UALR’s Graduate Institute of Technology; Dr. Fabricio Medina-Bolivar of Arkansas State University; and Dr. J.D. Swanson of the University of Central Arkansas. Undergraduate and graduate students at each institution are involved in research projects directed at enhancing nutritional and pharmaceutical value of crops by genetic approaches.

“As soon as we develop a new tomato with drought tolerance and more antioxidants, we will test how it grows in space conditions,” Khodakovskaya said.

http://ualr.edu/www/