Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
29 June 2017 08:56
Could a 'purple' rice (not the one in the photo) developed by scientists help people with cancer?
Scientists have developed a new type of antioxidant-packed rice which could potentially join the fight against cancer.
Chinese researchers came up with the distinctively-coloured 'purple' rice as part of testing for a new advance in genetic engineering.
Purple rice, purple rice
Its purple colour is down to the fact the rice is rich in antioxidant-boosting pigments called anthocyanins - found in blueberries and red cabbage.
Researchers say the rice could reduce the risk of some cancers thanks to its ability to offset the damage of oxidation to cells. By the same measure, it could also lessen people's chances of suffering diabetes and heart disease.
People with conditions like diabetes can arrange specialist medical travel insurance when taking a holiday.
What the experts say
Lead researcher Dr Yao-Guang Liu, from South China Agricultural University, said: "This is the first demonstration of engineering such a complex metabolic pathway in plants.
"Our research provides a high-efficiency vector system for stacking multiple genes for synthetic biology and makes it potentially feasible for engineering complex biosynthesis pathways in the endosperm of rice and other crop plants such as maize, wheat, and barley."
The findings are reported in the journal Molecular Plant.
19 October 2018
Pregnant women who suffer from pre-eclampsia have a greater risk of developing dementia, new research suggests.
[more...]
18 October 2018
The UK's average life expectancy is predicted to increase from 80.8 years to 83.3 years over the next 20 years, according to new research.
17 October 2018
Family doctors are being urged to prescribe physical activity for patients living with some of the most common medical conditions.
16 October 2018
Patients with brain tumours lose out on almost £15,000 per year, a new report has revealed.
13 October 2018
Chris Grayling has given his "categorial assurance" to Parliament that a no-deal Brexit will not ground flights in and out of the UK, despite recent warnings from experts that this remains a possibility.
12 October 2018
The rising cost of fuel could force more airlines out of business, the boss of easyJet has warned.
11 October 2018
The image of the boozy backpacker might be a thing of the past as a new study suggests more and more youngsters are shunning alcohol completely.
10 October 2018
The NHS says just one in 10 drinks sold in English hospitals will be sugar-sweetened, as part of its bid to curb rising obesity levels.
09 October 2018
More than 260,000 diabetes patients were put at risk of lasting harm or even death during hospital stays last year due to medication errors, a new report has revealed.
06 October 2018
NHS patients with a specific type of lymphoma will soon be able to access a "game-changing" new treatment, health officials have revealed.
05 October 2018
People living with diabetes are being warned they might be "unwittingly" storing their insulin incorrectly.
04 October 2018
The world's first commercial jet part-powered by a new form of biofuel touches down in London on Wednesday (3rd October).