Nutritionally Enriched Sweet Limes

Sweet limes belong to Citrus family. They are flowering trees that tend to produce fruits with a juicy edible flesh. There are several main categories: the oranges, mandarins, pummelos, grapefruits, lemons, citrons and limes.  Their juice is rich in Vitamin C.

Their scientific Classification is as follows:

Kingdom: Plantae; Sub kingdom: Angiosperms; Order: Sapindales; Family: Rutaceae; Genus: Citrus.

Anthocyanins are plant pigments. They are natural red and violet plant pigments responsible for the dark hue and skin colours of many plants and flowers, including fruits like grapes and berries. This pigment is a class of flavonoid. It is odourless, flavourless and it is a powerful antioxidant with a variety of health benefits.

They help in fighting against diseases, anti- inflammatory, increases blood sugar metabolism to prevent and control Diabetes, prevent cancer, provide relief against allergens, improves eye sight, decrease cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, increases blood flow, enhance capillary strength, fight oxidative stress, and help prevent heart disease, protect the stomach by increasing stomach mucus and gastric juice secretion and hence prevent gastric ulcer, effective weight loss aid, improves memory and other cognitive functions.

Manjul Dutt, a horticulturist, is an expert in growing fruits, vegetables and plants. He works at the University of Florida Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. He and his team wanted to see if they could get certain fruits to produce anthocyanins even when grown in warm regions.

Manjul Dutt and his team took genes for making anthocyanins from red grapes and blood oranges. They inserted these genes into limes and other types of citrus fruits. Adding genes from one species into another is called genetic engineering. After breaking the genetic code of lime, the new plant produced light pink flowers instead of white flowers.  The fruit’s light-green flesh also became a deep maroon or pink. But its skin remains the standard green.

When the new citrus fruit was tested it was found to contain Anthocyanins in addition to Vitamin C. Hence, redder the flesh, greater is the nutrients.

Earth is warming up. Genetically altered nutritious fruits are the only option to fight malnutrition. Manjul Dutt and his team have also proved that fruits rich in Anthocyanins  can be grown in tropical climate.

                                                                                          Courtesy: Science News.