Though many experts agree that a plant-based diet is the most environmentally-friendly and sustainable option, there are several nutrients essential to human health, including certain amino acids, peptides and proteins, that can only be found in animal-based products.

However, a team of China-based researchers, along with the lead author of the study, Lian Jiang, a professor at the Department of Horticulture at Zhejiang University, China, unveil a new procedure to create the nutrients creatine and carnosine inside plants, which may open the door to new and more sustainable synthesis options.

In a proof-of-concept study published in the ACS Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, the researchers produced these animal-based nutrients and common workout supplements right inside a plant. Moreover, they stress that different synthetic modules can be easily stacked together to boost production.

Plant-based innovation

According to Jiang and the research team, plants have shown a remarkable ability to produce unfamiliar compounds when prompted. By employing a specialized bacterium, DNA sequences were successfully introduced into various plants, directing them to synthesize a variety of molecules, including proteins.

This innovative approach allows for the creation of modified plants, like lettuce, which can be genetically altered to contain peptides that help reduce bone loss.

For more intricate compounds, the transfer of DNA instructions could disrupt the host plant’s natural metabolism and potentially decrease the production of the intended compound. To tackle this problem, Jiang and her team introduced synthetic modules containing DNA sequences that not only produce the target compound but also the precursor molecules necessary for its synthesis.

“Interchangeable” modules

Jiang and the team state that they tested the interchangeable synthetic modules in Nicotiana benthamiana, a plant resembling tobacco and commonly used in synthetic biology, with notable results. 

Conducting the experiment with a creatine module, which incorporated two genes necessary for creatine production, yielded 2.3 mcg of the peptide per g of plant tissue.

At the same time, utilizing a module specifically designed for carnosine synthesis along with another module that produces β-alanine, an amino acid naturally present in small amounts in N. benthamiana. By integrating these modules, Jiang states the team successfully boosted the production of carnosine by 3.8 times.

However, an attempt to produce taurine using a double-module strategy was not successful. Instead of enhancing taurine synthesis, the process caused significant disruption to the plant’s natural metabolism and led to minimal production of taurine as the plant struggled to regain its metabolic balance.

Nevertheless, the research team highlights that the results establish a successful strategy for generating complex nutrients typically derived from animals using a plant-based system.

In the future, this method could be used to fortify edible plants, such as fruits and vegetables, or utilized in other plants as sustainable bio-factories for nutrient production.