|
Post by kctomato on Nov 30, 2012 18:28:40 GMT -5
www.growingmagazine.com/blog-3813.aspxBrief: The enzyme CXE1 will never be a household name, but a new University of Florida study suggests that tomato lovers owe it a debt of thanks nonetheless-without it, their favorite fruit might not be so tasty. In a study published by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers with UF's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences announced their discovery of the enzyme and showed how the common tomato plant generates large amounts of it as the fruit ripens. Chemical reactions triggered by CXE1 improve the fruit's flavor profile by reducing the presence of acetate esters, volatile chemicals commonly associated with plant defense and plant-to-plant communication, said molecular biologist Harry Klee, an eminent scholar with UF's horticultural sciences department. "We do believe this phenomenon makes the fruit more palatable," Klee said. See rest via link above.
|
|