By ChinRes 
Get out of the way, watercress. A new vegetable that is outrageously high in vitamin content has recently been introduced. To add insult to injury, it is a quite attractive vegetable.
The findings of a group of researchers from the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) in Spain were published in the month of August in the journal Plant Journal. The researchers demonstrated the utilization of a novel technique known as “biofortification” of green leafy plant tissue. This technique involves increasing the amount of “pro-vitamin A carotenoids” to aid in the prevention of micronutrient deficiencies.
In many nations, the issue of micronutrient insufficiency, which is often referred to as hidden hunger, continues to be a significant concern. According to the authors of the study, “in particular, xerophthalmia is caused by vitamin A deficiency, which can lead to other health problems and even death, and it affects children from malnourished populations all over the world.”
“The incorporation of micronutrients such as vitamin A or its carotenoid antecedents as dietary supplements or as food ingredients (i.e., dietary supplements or fortification, respectively) can be a solution, but these strategies remain pricey in many cases.”
As a result, they devised a solution: they discovered a new location in which to keep all of those pharmaceuticals.
They were able to store significant quantities of beta-carotene in “plastoglobules,” also known as lipoprotein particles, which are particles consisting of protein and fat, within tobacco plants and lettuce, as stated in a news release issued by the researchers. The researchers went on to say that although these lipoprotein particles do not “participate in photosynthesis and do not typically accumulate carotenoids,” they were successful in their endeavor.
According to Luca Morelli, the first author of the study, who was quoted in the release, “Stimulating the formation and development of plastoglobules with molecular techniques and bright sunshine treatments not only increases the accumulation of beta-carotene but also its bioaccessibility.” This refers to the ease with which beta-carotene can be extracted from the food matrix in order to be absorbed by our digestive system.
In addition, the authors of the study stated that as a result of this method and other “biotechnological approaches,” it is possible to produce a “30-fold increase in accessible beta-carotene amounts compared to untreated leaves,” and this is also the reason why it has such a lovely golden hue.
And despite the fact that the entire concept of biofortification and the science that underpins what these researchers have just accomplished, the authors added in their statement that their work “constitutes a significant advancement in enhancing nutrition via the biofortification of vegetables such as lettuce, chard, or spinach.”
Moreover, it is crucial to acknowledge that they possess the ability to accomplish all of this “without giving up their characteristic scent and flavor.”