Demeter BioTechnologies Announces Food Protein Breakthrough
Demeter BioTechnologies, Ltd. and Dr. C.S. Prakash, professor and director of the Center for Plant Biotechnology at Tuskegee University have reported the capability to provide significant increases in both the quality and quantity of protein (essential amino acid content) in transgenic sweet potatoes. The potatoes were recently produced using a de nova artificial plant storage protein gene developed by Dr. Jesse M. Jaynes of Demeter BioTechnologies, Ltd. Overall protein levels in the new transgenic crops averaged over 16% compared to the normal levels of less than 5%. The amount of important individual essential amino acids was also dramatically improved. Lysine, for example, showed nearly a fivefold increase over normal plants.
Analysis of the transgenic sweet potatoes produced by Dr. Prakash and Dr. Marceline Egnin demonstrate that the new Demeter BioTechnologies' nutrition gene provides all of the essential amino acids required. In addition, substantial increases in overall protein content occurred, in some cases by as much as three to four times that normally found in sweet potato. And, given the balance of essential amino acids present, Dr. Prakash predicted that they likely would be 100% bio-available to those who consume them, people or other animals.
Dr. Prakash stated, ``plants generally, and sweet potatoes in particular, are notoriously deficient in those essential amino acids that all animals, including humans, need to grow and sustain health. Of the 20 essential amino acids we need, our bodies can only synthesize about 12. The other eight must be ingested regularly to sustain health. Infants and young children in developing countries whose diets largely consist of plant-based foods, such as in India where I was born, are particularly at risk in this regard.''
"One of the crops that has historically valued additional protein is wheat for food uses. Standard wheat flour contains about 11% protein. Commercial users of flour often add wheat gluten to achieve a higher protein content. Wheat with a higher protein content, in the 14% to 17% range, can command premiums ranging from $.20 to $1.25 per bushel," said Jim Thornton, vice president of Agriculture at Demeter BioTechnologies.
``In addition, nutrition enhanced crops, which have improved ratios of essential amino acids, offers new hope for addressing the basic food needs for many of the world's growing populations where those basic needs cannot be adequately met from animal sources. In developed countries, such crops could have considerable appeal to vegetarians.''
Demeter BioTechnologies Ltd. is a research company that designs and develops novel synthetic molecules for anti-infective and anti-cancer applications. Its molecules have structures based on principles discovered in naturally occurring molecules, but have greater potency with reduced toxicity.
Tuskegee University is a private land grant university, located in Alabama. Research funding for sweet potato research at Tuskegee University was by National Aeronautic and Space Administration and United States Department of Agriculture.
For more information contact James E. Thornton at Demeter BioTechnologies, Ltd. at (919) 682-7181, or C.S. Prakash, Ph.D., at Tuskegee University at (334) 727-8023.