Orange (Citrus sinensis L. cv. Pineapple) with higher beta-carotene content obtained by RNAi: comparative metabolomic characterization

• Grant number: 23/02192-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: April 01, 2023
• End date: May 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Food Science and Technology - Food Science
• Principal Investigator: Franco Maria Lajolo
• Grantee: Susane Namie Oshiro
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas (FCF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/07914-8 - FoRC - Food Research Center, AP.CEPID

Abstract

The orange (C. Sinensis) has great importance in the national territory, both in economic and health terms. A great part of oranges produced in the country are processed into juice and exported, beeing Brazil considered the largest exporter of orange juice in the world. The benefits of the fruit, in addition to its basic nutritional composition, are associated with secondary metabolites, such as flavonoids, carotenoids and volatile compounds, which, besides being related to the color, aroma and flavor of the fruit, are considered beneficial to health because they are associated with a decrease in the risk of cancer, oxidative stress, and antioxidant capacity, among other benefits. Due to this, studies with the aim of increasing or decreasing target compounds using genetic engineering have been proposed. Pons et al. (2014), modified the orange cv. Pineapple blocking the expression of the endogenous gene that encodes the enzyme responsible for converting beta- carotene into xanthophylls, increasing beta-carotene levels in modified oranges by 36 times and also reaching early flowering of the plant by overexpressing the Flowering Locus T gene (CsFT). Based on this work, Fundecitrus, together with other institutions, plans to introduce the first "orange with higher beta-carotene content" in Brazil, which is being harvested for the first time this year. Aiming to elucidate and obtain more complete data about this new cultivar, the use of metabolomics techniques may be the best strategy for its characterization, considering that the planned modification may have generated off-target alterations in important metabolic pathways, leading to changes in the profile of compounds and juice quality. In this context, the main objective of the project is the comparative metabolomic characterization of the "orange with higher beta-carotene content" using chromatographic methods and mass spectrometry. (AU)