Plant Science in the Service of Human Health and Nutrition

Abstract

There are millions of people in the world who do not get enough to eat, and millions more who may get enough (or even too many) calories but nevertheless suffer from poor nutrition. In a 2005 report, the World Health Organization (2005) assessed chronic disease (such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes) as a major challenge for public health worldwide and listed an unhealthy diet as a major factor contributing to chronic diseases. As discussed in two recent review articles in The Plant Cell, research in plant biochemistry and molecular biology could make significant contributions to improving the availability of nutritious plant-based foods. Martin et al. (2011) focus on the identification and measurement of phytonutrients in plant-based foods and assessing the impact of individual phytonutrients on disease. In particular, they discuss the potential for development of near-isogenic foods that differ only in the content of specific phytonutrients to investigate their nutritional properties. Using a variety of approaches, including traditional plant breeding and metabolic engineering, it may be possible to produce a variety of fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based food products that are enriched in particular phytonutrients and assess their abilities to mitigate chronic disease. For example, they discuss the development of a high anthocyanin purple tomato (see figure), which was shown to extend the life of cancer-prone mice (Butelli et al., 2008). Traka and Mithen (pages 2483–2497) emphasize the challenge of identifying plant metabolites whose manipulation might have a significant effect on mitigating chronic disease. They provide a critical assessment of three major sources of evidence used to support a role of dietary plant secondary metabolites in the prevention of chronic disease: epidemiological studies, the use of animal and cell models, and human intervention studies. They provide a good overview of these approaches and their limitations and conclude with a section outlining opportunities for plant scientists. They stress the need for human intervention studies to provide evidence for health benefits of plant-derived dietary components and echo Martin et al. on the value of developing near-isogenic genotypes of common foods that vary in specific phytochemicals for use in human studies. These review articles make a strong case for more plant scientists becoming involved in research on human health and working together with nutritionists, experimental medics, clinicians, and epidemiologists to bring more nutritional foods to the table and reduce the impact of chronic disease on human populations. Watch for more articles on Plant Science and Human Health and Nutrition in The Plant Cell review section in the coming year.