S. Korean scientists develop rice to help treat anemia

SEOUL, Dec. 22 (Yonhap) -- A group of South Korean scientists has developed a new
type of rice that may help treat human anemia, the government said Tuesday.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said the team at the Pohang
University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) enhanced the so-called OsNAS3 gene
in rice plants so the staple grain would have higher concentrations of iron and
dietary zinc.
"According to the World Health Organization, roughly a third of the world's
population suffers from lack of dietary zinc in their regular diet, with 2
billion people reportedly suffering from anemia caused by iron deficiency," it
said.
Such conditions cause a general weakening of the body's immune system and can
impair growth in children and pregnant women.
The team led by An Gyn-heung, a professor of life sciences at the school in
Pohang, 374 kilometers southeast of Seoul, said the breakthrough was made by
injecting a special "enhancer" into the rice plant's DNA that vitalized the
OsNAS3 gene.
The discovery, published in the latest online edition of the Proceedings of the
National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a U.S. science journal, showed that compared
to naturally grown rice, the iron level for the new rice was 2.9 times higher,
while the dietary zinc content was also 2.2 times greater.
The team's tests also revealed that laboratory mice that had been fed the
enhanced rice had higher levels of iron and dietary zinc in their bodies that can
help prevent and treat anemia.
The ministry said if more research is carried out based on the report published
in the PNAS, South Korea should be able to acquire all pertinent know-how so it
can produce rice with beneficial characteristics.
It can also help local farmers secure a market in "functional" grain products
that not only help feed people, but can also help improve health.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)