The preservation time of tomatoes is usually 15 days and they begin to deteriorate. Indian researchers discovered that the two key genes that affect plant maturation and “closed†these two genes in tomatoes produced new products that lasted up to 45 days.
The results of this research are published in the February 2 issue of the "National Academy of Sciences" (PNAS).
Extended freshness
Researchers at the National Institute of Plant Genome Research in India found that the two genes in plants, alpha-Manosidase (alpha-Man) and beta-hexosaminidase (beta-Hex), ripened fruit. Under these two genes, tomatoes can usually be stored for about 15 days. After that, the epidermis starts to wrinkle, the fruit becomes soft, and the ingredients gradually lose.
The researchers "silenced" the two genes to shut down the genes, delaying the tomato ripening process, prolonging the hard fruit time, and slowing the loss of components. The maximum fresh-keeping period of tomatoes cultivated by the Institute is 45 days, which is the longest preserved tomato in the world.
The Calcutta Telegraph reported on February 1st that the head of the study, Assis Datta, said: "We did not add new genes to tomatoes and extended the shelf life by closing two genes that made the fruit soft."
Reduce losses
India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. However, due to lack of refrigeration equipment, about 40% of the annual harvest is soft and deteriorated during transportation. Extending the storage time of fruits and vegetables is one of the key research projects of a number of research institutions in India. The measures include the inhibition of biological enzymes that are known to affect the ripening of fruits and vegetables, but the effectiveness is not good.
According to researchers from the National Institute of Plant Genome Research, previous studies have extended the shelf life to a certain degree, but they have not been effective in terms of fruit firmness or component retention.
India's latest research results have been recognized by some industry scientists. Roger Beech, director of the National Food and Agriculture Research Institute of the US Department of Agriculture, said: "To a certain extent, this achievement is unique, and Datta's research team has conquered a different (vegetable) path of maturity. â€
Beach said: "I hope to continue the study afterwards to explore whether this technology will help reduce the post-harvest loss of cash crops and increase food supply."
Security check
Researchers from the National Institute of Plant Genome Research in India said that the next step would be to perform a series of tests on “genetically modified†tomatoes, including conducting safety tests on animals, before entering commercial production. They expect that this process will take 3 years.
The researchers believe that, in theory, this research can also be used to extend the shelf life of mango, papaya, and bananas.
Some scientists believe that the application of this gene shut-down technique to other fruits may encounter technical challenges. Scientist Kailash Bansal used similar techniques to delay the ripening of tomatoes. He said: "Papaya and bananas are an alternative target, but any genetic engineering on mangoes is ineffective."
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