Biotech Updates

Research to Aid Development of Anti-Browning Sweet Potato

January 5, 2007

Chinese researchers have cloned and characterized a complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding polyphenol oxidase (PPO), the enzyme responsible for browning in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas). Z. Liao and colleagues are hoping that their find will eventually result to the development of sweet potato varieties with anti-browning properties.

Sweet potato is an important crop worldwide which is being used as feed and food. Browning however, decreases the commercial value of sweet potato products. The researchers said that antisense technology or RNA interference (RNAi) technology may help prevent it.

The abstract in the journal Molecular Biology, with links for subscribers, can be accessed at http://dx.doi.org/10.1134/S0026893306060094.