Daffodil genes and rice


The current issue of Smithsonian magazine has a brief mention of daffodil genes inserted into rice to create a strain enriched with beta carotene, a source of vitamin A. Health experts say millions of malnourished children worldwide could avoid blindness and death from vitamin A deficiency if they ate this genetically modified corn.
Bill Lee


3 comments for “Daffodil genes and rice

  1. What a waste of time. Didn’t these scientists have parents who yelled at them to eat their carrots? Carrots have a abundance of beta carotene. However, I am told the difference between Irish lamb stew and English lamb stew is that the English add carrots. I have not noticed a higher rate of vision problems in either country and I’m reasonably sure adding it to rice will not affect vision problems there or here in the US. Other nations may have more insight of this issue.
    One should be very careful about referencing what they read on Daffnet. How do we know that Kirby Fong and John Castor are not taking the idea of a pro fusion of ferocious daffodils to Lawrence-Livermore for development of WMOs.?
    Disregarding my own admonition referencing what they read, I did notice an article about research on compounds in daffodils as a treatment for Alsheimers disease. (Google Alsheimers daffodils for artiles). Unfortunately, for some of us the only way we treat our mental afflictions is to – buy another bulb.
    Denis Dailey

  2. Denis, As an Englishman who can’t eat cooked carrots but can eat raw ones, cooking increases the % of carotene 6 fold, but I’m told I have prefect colour vision, but need glasses for reading! I can only surmise I have been eating Irish Stew all these years without knowing!
    As to the Alsheimers (Alzheimer’s) the enzyme needed was first found in Snowdrops (galanthus) but then found in abundance in some daffodils, Carlton and Ice Follies are regarded as two of the best cultivars for obtaining this enzyme. In England and Wales you can now see fields of daffodils been grown for this purpose, the whole plant is used bulbs, leaves, and flowers all mashed up to obtain maximum amount. There were 3 drugs on the market that contained the enzyme, But the governing body who regulate drugs in the UK only allow them to be used on patients at the early onset of the illness saying that the benefits are not proved in the later stages! A lot of people here in the UK dispute that reasoning!
    Regards to all.
    Ian
    08/08/2010, Denis Dailey < title=> wrote:

  3. Attention Tom Stettner: We’ve been telling you that Ice Follies was a good flower.
    Betty Kealiher Central Ohio
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