Despite the apparent benefits, it's been difficult to increase the
amount of lycopene in the diet, says Randy Woodson, director of Agricultural
Research Programs at Purdue.
Studies have found that taking purified antioxidants as a dietary supplement
doesn't work. In fact, one study found that giving beta-carotene to
smokers actually increased their chances of developing cancer.
Another wrinkle is that when it comes to lycopene in tomatoes, cooked
tomato sauces are more effective than raw tomatoes.
This may be because cooking breaks the cell walls of the tomato, releasing
more of the lycopene. Or it may be that cooking oil allows the lycopene
to move more easily into the body.
To develop the lycopene-rich tomato, the researchers inserted a gene,
derived from yeast, into tomato plants.
The yeast gene produces an enzyme that affected the production of growth
substances in the plants called polyamines, which are known to help
prevent cell death.
Handa says the technique used in this research might also be used to
increase the amount of other antioxidants in fruits and vegetables.
Contact Avtar Handa at handa@hort.purdue.edu
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