Broccoli breakthrough could cut cancer levels
broccoli variety which contains up to 80 times the amount of
glucosinolates, a cancer-fighting compound, than standard broccoli.
A plant which could be grown for commercial use is currently in
development with US seed company Seminis.
California-based Seminis said this week it has secured exclusive marketing rights to broccoli containing up to 80 times more cancer-fighting ability than standard broccoli.
The nutritionally improved broccoli was developed through a traditionalbreeding process by Dr Richard Mithen and colleagues at the John Innes Centre in Norwich, UK over a five-year period. The plant has been created to contain higher than normal levels of glucosinolates, which are not active in the body, but their breakdown products are thought to help detoxify carcinogens and suppress the growth of existing cancerous tumours.
Research published last May in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that breakdown products of glucosinolate thwart a bacteria associated with a gastritis, peptic ulcers and gastric cancer. Future research includes a two-year independent study on humans starting in March, to shed more light on how glucosinolates and their breakdown products interact with the body.
The broccoli seed, which is licensed to Seminis by Plant Bioscience Limited, a UK-based technology management company, could be ready for trials as a commercial product in three to four years, according to Seminis. The company added that it has received requests and initiated discussions with potential downstream partners to bring the products to market.
According to Seminis, company researchers are currently crossbreeding the glucosinolate-rich broccoli plants with commercial varieties adapted to important production areas. Since environmental and horticultural factors could affect the concentrations of glucosinolates, it is necessary to study which growing conditions and production practices can optimise these levels.
"Taking full advantage of our genetic databank (germplasm) we have been able, through our own research capabilities andpartnerships, to change the way vegetables are developed. In addition to our traditional focus on grower requirements, we have geared our research toward consumer needs and preferences; in this case, providing nutritious vegetables with enhanced health benefits," said Seminis president Eugenio Najera.
A broad marketing agreement with PBL provides theexclusive right to transform the new basic broccoli lines into commercialproducts for the fresh produce, functional food and nutritional supplement markets. PBL is to receive a royalty, according to Seminis, although further detail was not disclosed.
Rufus Charles, PBL business development manager, said the royalties would allow the company to invest in new innovations at the institutes and universities providing its intellectual property.
Seminis which also develops products to increase crop yield, reduce spoilage or improve taste, claims to be the world's largest developer and marketer of vegetable and fruit seeds. It sells around 120 varieties of broccoli.
