Achi news desk-
The discovery came as a result of a light switch: research carried out at the James Hutton Institute near Dundee had tried to explore how shining some LED lights on strawberries could produce better fruit and boost farmers’ crops.
But they were surprised by the extent of the findings, which showed that the light therapy not only produced sweeter-tasting berries, it also increased existing digestive benefits that help limit calorific assimilation – raising hopes that they could become a weapon in the fight against diabetes and obesity.
Strawberries are already known to be rich in antioxidants with natural anti-inflammatory agents that can help support healthy blood pressure.
The researchers found that using specific light emitting diodes (LED) in the red, far-red and blue regions of the spectrum sparked even more positive chemical reactions in the plants.
As well as boosting fruit yield, the LED lights produced berries with much better antioxidants and antioxidant activity, along with higher levels of vitamin C.
The most impressive finding was the realization that the current abilities of soft fruit to inhibit certain digestive enzymes that help slow down digestion with benefits to calorific assimilation, were ‘supercharged’ by the LED lights.
That raises the possibility that a hearty bowl after a meal of LED-enhanced strawberries could have a better effect on blood sugar and fat levels.
This study is believed to be the first of its kind and has raised hopes among the researchers that the same positive effects can be achieved using the same LED lighting conditions to grow other soft fruits such as raspberries and blueberries and crops such as salad leaves.
The newly published research was carried out at the James Hutton Institute in association with Seahills Farm, a fruit grower near Arbroath. The farm contributed almost £65,000 to the research with a further grant of £130,000 from Innovate UK.
It feeds into wider studies into the molecular breeding of strawberries and other fruits and vegetables, which involves scientists using natural processes to modify the genetic makeup of the plant to produce better crops.
The next step is likely to see the strawberry LED light being put to the test in human trials.
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That would see volunteers eat the ‘advanced’ berries after a heavy meal followed by blood tests to see if their blood sugar and fat levels respond positively.
Dr Robert Hancock, Senior Biochemist and Plant Physiologist at the James Hutton Institute, said they were surprised by the extent of the positive effects of using the LED lights.
“We know that strawberries are good for you and, of course, people like to eat them and enjoy them, but we wanted to manipulate the quality of the fruit.
“You can do that by breeding, but that’s long-term, time-consuming and difficult to apply.
“Another option is to take cultivars that are on the supermarkets’ approved list, that are recognized by consumers and that growers know how to grow well and treat their environment.
“We know that light is one of the most important things in a plant’s environment, and it’s something we can manipulate fairly easily using narrow spectrum LEDs.
“The question was can we use plant response capacity to certain parts of the spectrum to improve quality?”
They placed red, red and narrow-band blue LED lights at a range of intensities to study how the plants would respond to each.
In each case, the plants showed positive chemical responses and produced better antioxidants, vitamin C and anthocyanins, the natural pigments that some studies have linked to promoting heart health, lowering cholesterol, fighting obesity and reducing cancer risks.
The berries also showed an increase in the ability to inhibit the digestive enzymes pancreatic lipase and α-amylase.
That has been linked to slowing the absorption rate of fat and sugar, potentially leading to a lower glycemic load and reducing the calorific value of a meal.
Low glycemic index diets have been linked to improvements in insulin sensitivity and weight loss.
Dr Hancock said human tests could see volunteers eat meals of, for example, steak and chips followed by strawberries, in the hope that the LED-grown fruit would have a positive effect.
“We would test that by providing volunteers with a meal and strawberries and taking blood samples to see if there is an increase in lipids or sugars, or if eating strawberries prevents that.
“Strawberries are pretty good at this anyway,” he added, “but we’re improving their ability to do the same, and making them healthier.”
After testing the concept, he said ‘advanced’ berries could soon become available to consumers, assuming supermarkets find them attractive enough for consumers and farmers are prepared to invest in LED light equipment.
However, the findings are likely to be welcomed by commercial growers and, in particular, increasing numbers of urban vertical farms.
“Strawberry growers’ conditions are getting more difficult with supermarkets competing against each other,” he added. “They have two options: if they don’t want to compete on price, then they have to compete on quality.
“By marketing healthy strawberries that provide something beneficial to consumers on top of the taste.”
