Protein-packed potato developed in India

Researchers in India have developed a genetically modified potato that is packed with up to 60 percent more protein and increased levels of amino acids.

Protein deficiency is the most crucial factor that affects physical growth and development and that increases morbidity and mortality especially in developing countries. Efforts have been made to improve protein quality and quantity in crop plants but with limited success.

Amaranth, a tall, broadleaf plant that produces tiny seeds, was a major food of the Aztecs and earlier American cultures, and started to be grown as a grain crop in the United States in the late 1970s. One of its genes, Amaranth Albumin 1 (AmA1), is regarded as agriculturally important because it endows the plant and its seeds with high protein levels and higher concentrations of several essential amino acids.

Researchers inserted this gene into seven types of potatoes and then grew the transgenic potatoes over two years. They found that the transgenic potatoes contained between 35 and 60 percent more protein than unmodified potatoes. They also found increased levels of amino acids, notably lysine, tyrosine and sulphur, which are usually limited in potatoes. The genetic manipulation also resulted in a moderate increase in tuber yield and evaluation studies indicated that the transgenic potatoes are suitable for commercial cultivation. Animal studies have already demonstrated its safety for human consumption. Scientists have expressed hope that the transgenic potato would find more acceptance because it uses a gene from the amaranth seed, another edible crop.

As potato constitutes an important part of the diet of many people in developed as well as developing countries, with more than a billion people worldwide consuming it daily, this development can add value to potato-based products with enhanced benefits for better human health.