Tomatoes could hold the key to preventing the onset of age-related diseases as UK scientists find the gene responsible for producing the CGA antioxidant protects the celebrated Mediterranean food against bacterial disease.Scientists at the John Innes Centre (JIC) and Institute of Food Research (IFR) in Norwich identified the gene – HQT – as the producer of the antioxidant chlorogenic acid (CGA). By increasing the activity of HQT, CGA levels in the tomato fruits were lifted, helping to protect them against attack from bacterial disease. CGA could also protect humans eating the tomatoes against degenerative, age-related diseases, the scientists purport.
