Red Fungus Turned Yellow May Help Tackle Vitamin A Deficiency
May 8, 2009| |
The alleviation of the acute vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in Africa and Southeast Asia is the focus of a research in the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in Pullman Washington led by geneticist Daniel Skinner. An edible fungus Monascus purpuerus popularly used in Asian fermented rice dishes was improved to contain the genes for producing beta carotene.
Skinner and his colleagues introduced the two copies of beta carotene genes from the fungus Blakeslea trispora into the DNA of Monascus, enabling it to make the orange-colored pigment. Beta carotene analysis showed that the modified Monascus can produce about as much beta carotene as carrot, under the right growth conditions. Consuming this modified mushroom in the Asian and African diet is hoped to contribute to the prevention of VAD, the leading cause of preventable blindness, illness and death from severe infections.
For details visit:http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2009/090507.htm and http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/may09/fungus0509.htm
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