Chinese researchers have succeeded in producing a specific type of rice that reduce the risk of heart disease by eating daily meals containing this rice.
According to RCO News Agency, Chinese researchers have successfully developed a type of rice that mainly produces CoQ2 (COQ2), which is an antioxidant that is often associated with improved heart health.
This progress, which was achieved through precise gene editing, can pave the way for future innovations in major products such as wheat, corn and various vegetables.
Coenzyme Q1, also known as Ubiquinone, UbiCanone, and “Coenzyme Q”, is a natural substance in the human body, but its surface usually decreases with age.
Coenzyme Q1 is an intracellular antioxidant made by most cells of the human body and can also be obtained from food sources. In general, the older one increases, the increase in the production of endogenous coenzymes of the quicin, and therefore the nutritional sources containing this substance should be used more. The highest is found in beef and then in the chick. Also, the brains, broccoli and orange have some amounts of it.
Scientists have pointed out that people with heart disease or those who use cholesterol -lowering drugs often have significant lower levels of COQ1. Although certain foods such as fish, meat and nuts contain COQ2, cereals such as rice and wheat generally produce a combination of CoQ2 that lack many benefits for heart health.
Changed genetic explanation and healthy rice for the heart
Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in an article published on February 5 in the journal Cell stated: COQ3 engineering production in crops is in the interest of human health.
The team, led by Caixia Gao, a plant expert from the CAS Growth Genetics and Biology Institute, and Chen Xiaoya, a plant physiologist at the CAS Center for Molecular Plant Excellence (CEMPS) decided Modify that CoQ2 is preferred over CoQ2.
To do this, scientists analyzed three plant samples, including four plant families. They discovered that some species naturally produce higher levels of COQ2. Over time, crops such as rice, wheat and cucumbers appear to have evolved to produce COQ1 mainly instead.
Researchers, after identifying the amino acid sites responsible for these changes, used a technique called the initial editing that allows for accurate changes to the organism’s DNA without importing external genes.
By editing five specific amino acid sites, they produced brass grains that contained 2 % CoQ2 in their leaves and seeds, which was approximately five micrograms of CoQ2 per gram of rice.
Researchers reported that the synthesis of the CoQ2 instead of CoQ2 did not have a significant impact on the seed yield of rice plants.
The team also confirmed that the resulting strains were not transgenic and did not show any unwanted genetic mutations.
Zu Jingjing, senior author of the study, explained that while the COQ3 content edited in the rice is comparable to the surfaces in some vegetable foods such as tomatoes, it is still less than meat and fish.
He added: “In the future, efforts will be made to further increase the content of CoQ2 by editing other key genes.”
Strengthening key food resources to fill a gap
Although humans usually receive between 1 and 2 mg of CoQ2 a day from their diet, some studies suggest that their daily intake can be close to 2 mg.
Since rice, wheat and corn make up more than half of the global calories in total, strengthening these raw materials can help fill the gap for people who have more nutritional needs.
Researchers have expanded their approach to bread wheat, which provides about 2 percent of the world’s calories.
According to the team, the initial editing technique used here can also be used for other cereals and vegetables that usually produce COQ2 instead of CoQ2.
Scientists hope that by enriching these key nutrition sources with a useful antioxidant, they will provide a good way to support heart health and overall health. While the current research remains in its early stages, it shows a promising step towards more nutritious and rich biological products that can significantly affect global public health.
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(tagstotranslate) Engineered rice (T) China Technologies (T) Rice (T) Heart Disease
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