Tetrahydrofolate (THF) and its derivatives (folates) are indispensable for the health of humans and other organisms. They participate as cofactors in one carbon transfer reactions in the synthesis of glycine, serine, methionine, purines, and Thymidylate.
Humans are unable to synthesize folates. A deficiency of this vitamin can cause a range of serious diseases .including some birth defects (such as spina bifida), megaloblastic anemia, cardiovascular conditions, and some cancers. Although folate deficiency is still a serious problem all over the world, it has the highest impact in developing countries, causing 200,000 severe birth defects every year.
To help prevent folate deficiency, some western countries, including the United States, have made the fortification of grain products with synthetic folic acid mandatory. Fortification helps people get the recommended allowance—400 µg/day for adults and 600 µg/day for pregnant women—in their regular diet. Unfortunately, in developing countries this kind of fortification presents a series of challenges—distribution inequities, recurrent costs, and lack of a food industry. Furthermore, fortification may itself cause some health problems. When a large amount of this vitamin is ingested, unreduced folic acid can enter into the systemic circulation.
Therefore, to achieve a greater margin of safety and lower costs, the consumption of common foods with a .high content of natural THF would be a better solution.
Another consideration is that most folate in people’s diets comes from plant foods. However, people regularly consume tubers, cereals, and fruits and not green leafy vegetables, which have the highest levels of this vitamin. For these reasons, a good strategy to improve folate intake worldwide would be to genetically engineer common food plants to make more folates.
Hanson and Gregory’s laboratories (University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences) chose tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) for this experimental approach.
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