Edinburgh/Yoghurt/Applications
From 2007.igem.org
Introduction | Applications | Objectives | Design | Modelling | Wet Lab | References
The carotenoids produced by the zeaxanthin pathway are not just pretty pigments as they also have several world renound health benefits!
The properties of both B-carotene and lycopene have been avidly studied by scientists, a few examples of these are given below. By encorporating these carotenoids into our yoghurt, we are not only using healthy food colourings, but we are also helping to protect future consumers from dieases such as cancer, heart disease and nyctalopia (poor dark adaptation).
Benefits of B-carotene
Benefits of Lycopene
Lycopene a carotenoid, with red pigmentation, is an intermediate in the zeaxanthin pathway. Several studies have reported the benifits of having a high dietry intake of lycopene, a few examples of which are given below.
Lycopene is reported to be an extremally benificial antioxident:
| "its unique structural and biologic properties enable lycopene to prevent free-radical damage to cells caused by reactive oxygen species, thus acting as a potent antioxidant" (Ansari & Ansari, 2005) |
Lycopene has also been inversely related with the risk of chronic disease, including prostate cancer and heart disease:
| "Dietary intakes of tomatoes and tomato products containing lycopene have been shown to be associated with decreased risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases in several recent studies" (A Venket Rao, 2000) |
Introduction | Applications | Objectives | Design | Modelling | Wet Lab | References
