Now, a research team led by UVic plant biologist Dr. Peter Constabel has become the first in the world to reveal—at a molecular genetic level—how blueberries ripen and produce antioxidants known as flavonoids.
“We already knew a lot about the chemical composition of blueberries, but until now very little about how flavonoid antioxidants are formed by the fruit as it ripens,” says Constabel. “This new knowledge has tremendous potential for BC’s blueberry industry and, ultimately, for our health.”
In the study, published recently in the international journal, Plant Physiology, the team used advanced genomics tools to identify a large number of genes in ripening blueberries. In the process, they quadrupled the number of newly discovered blueberry genes—information that is now available in public databases.
