• Email Us: [email protected]
  • Contact Us: +1 718 618 4351
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Medical Market Report

  • Home
  • All Reports
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Why Are Some Apples Red Inside?

November 18, 2023 by Deborah Bloomfield

The idea of a red apple doesn’t seem all that unusual – unless we’re talking about its color inside. Whilst most apples have off-white flesh (and hopefully, a satisfying crispness), slice into a Mountain Rose or Redlove apple and you’ll find insides with a bright and vivid red. But why do some apples possess such colorful insides? Researchers believe it’s all down to an important molecular pathway controlling pigmentation.

Pigment production

The pathway in question controls the production of anthocyanins. A group of water-soluble pigments, anthocyanins are also found in a number of other unusually colored fruits and vegetables, giving them a distinct red, purple, or black hue. In the case of red-fleshed apples, a team of researchers demonstrated that anthocyanins likely give the flesh its characteristic color, caused by the expression of a gene called MYB10.

Advertisement

MYB10 is a transcription factor in an anthocyanin pathway, meaning that it regulates the expression of other genes that eventually result in anthocyanin production. When the team of researchers genetically altered Royal Gala apple trees to overexpress MYB10, the resulting fruit had intensely plum-red insides, and high levels of anthocyanins. This indicated that the molecule was responsible for the color of the flesh.

Color with a purpose

Beyond looking pretty, the high level of anthocyanins in red-fleshed apples has a more practical purpose. As the authors wrote, “These compounds are essential for plant health and performance, but are also considered as phytonutrients or markers for dietary health.”

Anthocyanins are thought of as antioxidants. In the case of plant health, antioxidants are important for protecting cells from free radicals. Whilst a normal byproduct of metabolism, they are highly reactive molecules, and can sometimes cause damage when they are not well-regulated. 

This can happen in the human body too. “Free radicals can damage the body’s cells by changing a cell’s DNA, or it can alter a cell’s membrane,” explained registered dietitian Nicole Hopsecger, speaking to the Cleveland Clinic. “This interaction between free radicals and the body is called oxidative stress, which is often thought to be what contributes to the increased risk of developing chronic disease.”

A new superfood?

Red-fleshed apples, then, could be popular with health-conscious consumers – many antioxidant-rich fruits, like blueberries and goji berries, have been labeled “superfoods”. But if you’re hoping that means a red-fleshed apple a day will keep the doctor away, you might be disappointed. “Superfoods tend to be tied more to a marketing trend,” said Hopsecger. 

“We can’t rely on any single antioxidant or nutrient to do all the work,” the dietitian explained. “We need to get a variety of those to make sure we stay healthy and the best way to do that is through a healthy, balanced and varied diet.”

Still, some have described the flavor of the red-fleshed Mountain Rose as like a “strawberry Jolly Rancher” – so it might be worth popping one in your lunchbox anyway.

Deborah Bloomfield
Deborah Bloomfield

Related posts:

  1. Turkey mutually parts ways with head coach Senol Gunes
  2. China Evergrande shares slide 6% in early trade
  3. French watchdog chief calls for ban on ‘payment for order flow’ in EU stock market
  4. Elephant Whiskers Improve Trunk Sensitivity, Making Them The Ultimate Thieves

Source Link: Why Are Some Apples Red Inside?

Filed Under: News

Primary Sidebar

  • NASA Reveals Incredible Rare New View Of Mars’s Horizon From Space
  • Can We Settle Space Anytime Soon?
  • We Now Know How HIV Fuses To Our T Cells, Which Could Impact Future Treatments
  • Life-Extending Drug For Big Dogs Moves One Step Closer To FDA Approval
  • What Is Royal Honey?
  • The 25,000 Year Old “Pyramid” In Indonesia Was Likely Not Made By Humans
  • Our Planet Is Getting Saltier And That’s Very Bad News
  • New Zealand’s Drunkest Bird Is A Gloriously Fat Pigeon
  • This Meteorite Is Likely The Remains Of An Extinct Ancient Protoplanet
  • Mali, The “World’s Saddest Elephant”, Has Died
  • Yes, There’s A Scientifically “Best” Way To Have A Bath. This Is It
  • Mosasaurus, Pliosaurus, And Predator X: Which Ancient Marine Predator Was The Deadliest?
  • Antibiotic Resistance Is A Reality – Here’s How To Stop It
  • Largest Plane Yet Makes Landing On Antarctica’s Blue Ice Runway
  • The Story Behind The “Most Terrifying Photo” Ever Taken In Space
  • What Was The Lifespan Of A Dinosaur?
  • The Hidden Dangers Of Eating Burned Toast: What You Need To Know
  • How Humans Could Evolve Into Another New Species
  • Is “Orange Cat Behavior” Actually A Thing?
  • What Happens To Your Brain Under Sensory Deprivation?
  • Business
  • Health
  • News
  • Science
  • Technology
  • +1 718 618 4351
  • +91 78878 22626
  • [email protected]
Office Address
Prudour Pvt. Ltd. 420 Lexington Avenue Suite 300 New York City, NY 10170.

Powered by Prudour Network

Copyrights © 2023 · Medical Market Report. All Rights Reserved.

Go to mobile version