PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Reliably higher levels of healthy compound in Beneforte broccoli

2013-04-10
(Press-News.org) Field trials and genetic studies have shown that a new variety of broccoli reliably yields higher levels of a health-promoting compound.

Broccoli contains a compound called glucoraphanin, which has been shown to promote health by maintaining cardiovascular health and a reduction in the risk of cancer. A long term breeding programme to increase glucoraphanin levels has resulted in the commercial release of Beneforté broccoli. Beneforté was developed by crossing standard broccoli with a wild relative derived from Sicily.

Publicly funded research to develop Beneforté broccoli was led by two of the UK's world-leading biological research institutes: the Institute of Food Research and the John Innes Centre, on the Norwich Research Park. They both receive strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).

Three years of field trials at over 50 different sites in Europe and the United states have shown that Beneforté broccoli consistently produces 2-3 times the amount of glucoraphanin than other leading varieties of broccoli, without affecting yield, quality or the levels of other nutrients.

Glucoraphanin contains sulphur, which broccoli derives from the soil. New research, published in the journal New Phytologist, shows that Beneforté increases the amount of sulphur it takes up from the soil, and also channels more of it into glucoraphanin. Genetic analysis identified a single gene derived from the original wild relative that is responsible for both of these changes. In standard broccoli varieties, different soils can cause variation in glucoraphanin levels. These findings explain how Beneforté consistently delivers more glucoraphanin than ordinary broccoli.

Professor Richard Mithen of the Institute of Food Research is now leading ongoing studies to understand how glucoraphanin in Beneforté exerts its effects on human health, with particular focus on the cardiovascular system and prostate cancer.

Beneforté broccoli was launched in the UK in 2011 and is available from Marks and Spencer and Asda.



INFORMATION:

Reference: Genetic regulation of glucoraphanin accumulation in Beneforté broccoli, Traka, M. H. et al New Phytologist (2013) doi: 10.1111/nph.12232



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Take a kidney transplant now or wait for a better one? Hopkins researchers create 'decision' tool

2013-04-10
Johns Hopkins scientists have created a free, Web-based tool to help patients decide whether it's best to accept an immediately available, but less-than-ideal deceased donor kidney for transplant, or wait for a healthier one in the future. Historically, the researchers say, it has been difficult, if not impossible, to accurately quantify the risk of accepting a deceased-donor kidney that may have been infected by hepatitis C, as compared to waiting what could be months or years for a better organ. There is a 5 to 15 percent chance of dying every year on the waiting list. ...

Study finds copper reduces 58 percent of healthcare-acquired infections

2013-04-10
VIDEO: New research has revealed that the use of Antimicrobial Copper surfaces in hospital rooms can reduce the number of healthcare-acquired infections by 58 percent as compared to patients treated in... Click here for more information. New York, NY (April 9, 2013)— New research has revealed that the use of Antimicrobial Copper surfaces in hospital rooms can reduce the number of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) by 58% as compared to patients treated in Intensive ...

Surf's up: Turbulence tells sea urchins to settle down

2013-04-10
Tumbling in the waves as they hit a rocky shore tells purple sea urchin larvae it's time to settle down and look for a spot to grow into an adult, researchers at the University of California, Davis, Bodega Marine Laboratory have found. The work is published April 8 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "How these animals find their way to the right habitat is a fascinating problem," said Brian Gaylord, professor of evolution and ecology at UC Davis and a researcher at the Bodega Marine Lab. "The turbulence response allows them to tell that they're ...

2-drug combo more effective in treating sarcomas, Moffitt Cancer Center study shows

2013-04-10
Researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center and colleagues at the University of South Florida have found that when given together, a two-drug combination acts synergistically in test animals modeled with sarcoma tumors. They report that the drug combination of MK-1775 and gemcitabine resulted in a 70 percent decrease in the tumor volume when compared to receiving one drug or the other. Their study was published in the March 8 online edition of PLOS ONE. "Sarcomas are rare tumors affecting both children and adults, but sarcomas account for a greater number of pediatric cancers ...

AGU journal highlights -- April 9, 2013

2013-04-10
The following highlights summarize research papers that have been recently published in Geophysical Research Letters (GRL), Space Weather (SW), Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface (JGR-F), and Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, (JGR-G). In this release: Characterizing the Moon's radiation environment Three-dimensional mapping of airflow over dunes Forest organic runoff breaks down faster than agricultural, urban runoff Examining CO2¬ concentrations and flow dynamics in streams Measuring the forces generated by erosive debris flows Agulhas ...

Key pathway to stop dangerous, out-of-control inflammation discovered

2013-04-10
ATLANTA – A potential new strategy to developing new drugs to control inflammation without serious side effects has been found by Georgia State University researchers and international colleagues. Jian-Dong Li, director of Georgia State's Center for Inflammation, Immunity and Infection, and his team discovered that blocking a certain pathway involved in the biological process of inflammation will suppress it. Inhibiting a molecule called phosphodiesterase 4B, or PDE4B, suppresses inflammation by affecting a key gene called CLYD, a gene that serves as a brake on inflammation. The ...

In autism, age at diagnosis depends on specific symptoms

2013-04-10
MADISON – The age at which a child with autism is diagnosed is related to the particular suite of behavioral symptoms he or she exhibits, new research from the University of Wisconsin–Madison shows. Certain diagnostic features, including poor nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors, were associated with earlier identification of an autism spectrum disorder, according to a study in the April issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Displaying more behavioral features was also associated with earlier diagnosis. "Early ...

RI Hospital: Co-infections not associated with worse outcomes during H1N1 pandemic

2013-04-10
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A study at Rhode Island Hospital has found that despite complications, patients co-infected with the pandemic 2009-2010 influenza A H1N1 (pH1N1) and a second respiratory virus were not associated with worse outcomes or admission to the hospital's intensive care unit. The study is published online in the journal PLOS ONE. "There is scant data in the literature regarding the incidence and impact of simultaneous infection by two respiratory viruses, particularly in adults," said senior investigator Leonard Mermel, D.O., medical director of the department ...

Researchers confirm multiple genes robustly contribute to schizophrenia risk in replication study

2013-04-10
Multiple genes contribute to risk for schizophrenia and appear to function in pathways related to transmission of signals in the brain and immunity, according to an international study led by Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy researchers. By better understanding the molecular and biological mechanisms involved with schizophrenia, scientists hope to use this new genetic information to one day develop and design drugs that are more efficacious and have fewer side effects. In a study published online in the April issue of JAMA Psychiatry, the JAMA Network ...

Study suggests federal guidelines for treating teen PID need clarification

2013-04-10
A Johns Hopkins Children's Center survey of 102 clinicians who treat teenage girls with pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) has found that official guidelines designed to inform decisions about hospitalization versus outpatient care leave some clinicians scratching their heads. The study, conducted by a team of adolescent medicine specialists and published online in the journal Sexually Transmitted Diseases, presented the clinicians with a series of common clinical scenarios and discovered a great deal of uncertainty among some trying to choose between inpatient and outpatient ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Metabolically active visceral fat linked to aggressive endometrial cancer, new study reveals

Scientists glimpse how enzymes “dance” while they work, and why that’s important

California partnership aided COVID-19 response and health equity, report finds

University of Oklahoma secures $19.9 million for revolutionary radar technology

Study finds restoring order to dividing cancer cells may prevent metastasis

High-accuracy tumor detection with label-free microscopy and neural networks

Wayne State research reveals fetuses exposed to Zika virus have long-term immune challenges

Researchers deconstruct chikungunya outbreaks to improve prediction and vaccine development

Study finds one-year change on CT scans linked to future outcomes in fibrotic lung disease

Discovery of a novel intracellular trafficking pathway in plant cells

New tool helps forecast volcano slope collapses and tsunamis

Molecular coating cleans up noisy quantum light

From Parkinson's to rare diseases, discovered a key switch for cellular health

Tiny sugars in the brain disrupt emotional circuits, fueling depression

Mini-organs reveal how the cervix defends itself

Africa, climate, and food: How to feed a continent without increasing its carbon footprint

Researchers demonstrates substrate design principles for scalable superconducting quantum materials

How better software choices could cut US health care costs

Concussion history in NCAA athletes yields mixed health outcomes

Counting plastic reveals hidden waste and sparks action

Warming oceans may pose a serious threat to American lobsters

Deaths from drug-induced unintentional injury rise across the US

In car crashes with pedestrians, age and zip code may predict extent of traumatic injuries

AI optimizes evacuation, diagnosis, and treatment of wounded soldiers in Ukraine

Mastectomy linked to worsened sexual health, body image after surgery

Drop in credit score after cancer diagnosis linked to increased mortality, study shows

Use of weight loss drugs before bariatric surgery has soared in recent years, study finds

EMS call times in rural areas take at least 20 minutes longer than national average

Rectal bleeding in young adults linked to 8.5 times higher risk of colorectal cancer

Hospital closures disproportionately affect socioeconomically disadvantaged communities

[Press-News.org] Reliably higher levels of healthy compound in Beneforte broccoli