Monday, February 05, 2007
It's too bad that purple potatoes don't grow naturally in the US!
Today in my class, "Chemistry, Biology, and Molecular Modeling" with Dr. Synder we discussed the molecules that give flowers their pigment. It turns out that the colored molecules are flavonoids just like the flavonoids we've discussed in fruit. Anthocyanins give flowers red, blue, and purple colors while carotenoids give flowers orange, yellow and red colors. As a part of this class we have to find websites relevant to each lecture and share them with the class. I came across this article and found it interesting enough that I thought it was worth sharing with you guys: http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20050108/bob9.asp. The article gives an overview of the healthful aspects of several colored edible foods. At the end it discusses the solubility of anthocyanins and carotenoids. The former are highly soluble in water as we already know from our reading and the latter are soluble in fats. After examining the structures in class today I can see why! The anthocyanins can easily form hydrogen bonds with H2O molecules and the carotenoids are similar in structure to fats, hydrophilic with long carbon chains, and thus would interact favorably with fats.
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2 comments:
That's very interesting what geneticists are doing to alter all sorts of plants. I know a few people who refuse to eat any item that has been modified chemically for personal reasons. Enhancing fruits and vegetables both chemically and physically has been going on for decades. Reading part of that article reminded me of the physical alterations the Japanese do to some of there fruits and vegetables-specifically the watermelon. I'm sure most people have heard about the square watermelons sold in Japan. For those who have not, the square watermelon is basically made by placing a young watermelon in a green square glass container while it is still growing. The square watermelon is easier to store and ship then the traditional round watermelon but is much more expensive. There is not a whole lot of chemistry involved but nevertheless, it is an interesting way in which people have learned to alter the food we eat.
I was under the impression that they developed these colored foods by cross breeding them with naturally colored versions, not by altering them in any genetic or chemical way. I'm not sure though.
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