For full story see:
http://www.planetark.com/avantgo/dailynewsstory.cfm?newsid=25182
Plants Altered to Produce Fish Oils
All Contents
C Reuters News Service 2003
NEW YORK - As if vegetables weren't already healthy enough, UK
scientists have found a way to add heart-healthy fatty acids to plants.
A team led by Dr. Baoxiu Qi at the University of Bath, UK, genetically
altered a cress plant to produce both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids,
which are thought to be protective against cardiovascular disease. These
oils are also important for infant brain and eye development.
The accumulation of these fatty acids in plants "is a breakthrough in
the search for alternative sustainable sources of fish oils," Qi's team
concludes in the advance online edition of the journal Nature
Biotechnology.
Qi was at the University of Bristol when the research was conducted.
Of course, it is possible to consume plenty of these heart-healthy fatty
acids in the diet. Omega-3 fatty acids are most abundant in salmon,
mackerel, sardines and other fatty fish, while good sources of omega-6
fatty acids include a variety of plant oils, such as soybean oil.
In most industrialized societies, however, many people do not eat a diet
rich in omega fatty acids. And fish supplies are declining and are
sometimes contaminated, so alternative sources of healthy fatty acids
are "desirable," according to Qi's
team...................................................
Story Date: 20/5/2004
Yours sincerely,
Richard Lord
Guernsey GY1 1BQ
Tel: 01481 700688
Fax: 01481 700699
Email: fishinfo@guernsey.net
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