Scientists Created Gene-edited Tomatoes As A New Vegan Source Of Vitamin D

New discovery

Biologists have created gene-edited tomatoes that offer a new plant-based source of vitamin D. A research team led by scientists at the John Innes Centre in Norwich have edited the genetic makeup of tomatoes to become a robust source of vitamin D,” Scientists created gene-edited tomatoes “which regulates nutrients like calcium that are imperative to keeping bones, teeth and muscles healthy.

Although vitamin D is created in our bodies after exposure to sunlight, its major source is food, largely in dairy and meat. Low vitamin D levels – associated with a plethora of conditions from cancer to cardiovascular disease – affect roughly 1 billion people globally, the researchers said. Tomato leaves naturally contain one of the building blocks of vitamin D3, called 7-DHC. Vitamin D3 is considered best at raising vitamin D levels in the body. “Scientists created gene-edited tomatoes”.

Research & Experiment

The scientists used the Crisper tool – which is designed to work like a pair of genetic scissors – to tweak the plant’s genome such that 7-DHC substantially accumulates in the tomato fruit, as well as the leaves. When leaves and the sliced fruit were exposed to ultraviolet light for an hour, one tomato contained the equivalent levels of vitamin D as two medium-sized eggs or 28 grams (1 ounce) of tuna, the researchers wrote in a paper published in the journal Nature Plants.

Cathie Martin, also at the John Innes Centre, says that because of the gene’s structure, it would have been “very difficult” to use traditional plant breeding to arrive at a natural mutation that knocked out the enzyme. Traditional techniques would have taken 10 years to achieve the same result that took 1.5 years using a gene-editing technology known as CRISPR-Cas9, she says.

A new Vegan source

Most vitamin D3 supplements come from lanolin, which is extracted from sheep’s wool. Since the sheep stays alive, it works for vegetarians, but not vegans.
Lichen is considered a vegan source of vitamin D3, but the data underpinning its effectiveness is limited – and it is also expensive, said Susan Lanham-New, head of the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Surrey. If scientists have their way, two medium-sized tomatoes a day could keep the doctor away. Vegans may see the tomatoes as a new way to get more vitamin D.

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