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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.
17 August 2018
People living with HIV could be offered a long-lasting injection that controls the virus and protects patients from developing AIDS.
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16 August 2018
Holidaymakers in the UK will be hit by more train price hikes from next year, after the Government announced ticket prices will increase by 3.2% in January.
15 August 2018
A simple blood test could help GPs detect a rare form of bone marrow cancer much earlier, a new study suggests.
14 August 2018
Passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport last month faced queues of over two and a half hours at passport control, new figures have revealed.
11 August 2018
Hundreds of Ryanair flights will not take off as planned on Friday due to pilot strikes in five countries.
10 August 2018
Fad diets that cut out carbs while increasing fat consumption could lead to an increased risk of diabetes, according to new research.
09 August 2018
HIV testing has become even more accessible after a self-testing kit was made available from a High Street retailer.
08 August 2018
Women patients are more likely to survive a heart attack if they are treated by a female doctor, a new US study has revealed.
07 August 2018
The head of British Airways has branded two-hour queues facing travellers at Heathrow's passport control as a "border farce."
04 August 2018
Simple factors such as gender and body mass can help doctors to personalise care for patients with type 2 diabetes and avoid harmful side effects, according to a study.
03 August 2018
Gatwick Express must no longer claim it runs "non-stop to Victoria station in half an hour" and "in just 30 minutes" unless it can achieve the time in most cases, a watchdog has ruled.
02 August 2018
A charity is calling for greater access to respite support after it emerged that 72% of Britain's 700,000 young carers feel lonely and isolated during the summer holidays.