Justine Domont, Margot Thiblet, Audrey Etienne, Harmony Alves Dos Santos, Thierry Cadalen, Philippe Hance, David Gagneul, Jean-Louis Hilbert, Caroline Rambaud
BACKGROUND: Chicory ( Cichorium intybus L.), a member of the Asteraceae family, is known for its numerous health benefits, including its prebiotic, digestive, antioxidant or anti-inflammatory effects. Used as a coffee substitute, chicory roots is also appreciated for its bitterness, which can prove to be a disadvantage for other uses in food. The bitterness of chicory is largely linked to the presence of sesquiterpene lactones (STLs) in the roots. METHODS: In order to create less bitter industrial chicory varieties, CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to inhibit the first two genes of the STL biosynthetic pathway: germacrene A synthase ( CiGAS ), short form, and germacrene A oxidase ( CiGAO )...
September 14, 2023: Frontiers in Bioscience (Landmark Edition)