Genetically modified protein-packed potato developed in India

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

Scientists led by Subhra Chakraborty at the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR) in New Delhi inserted a gene extracted from the amaranth seed into seven types of potatoes and then grew the transgenic potatoes over two years.

They found that the transgenic potatoes contain between 35% and 60% more protein than unmodified potatoes.

The modified potatoes also contain increased levels of amino acids, notably lysine, tyrosine and sulphur, which are usually limited in potatoes.

In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Tuesday, the scientists expressed the hope that the transgenic potato would find more acceptance because it uses a gene from the amaranth seed, another edible crop.

Amaranth is a tall, broad-leaf plant that produces tiny seeds. It 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.

These GM potatoes were fed to rats and rabbits with no adverse consequences, the scientists said.

More than a billion people worldwide consume potatoes daily. "Because potato constitutes an important part of the diet of many people in developed as well as developing countries, it is apparent that this can add value to potato-based products with enhanced benefits for better human health," they wrote.