(MNT) - Researchers have found a way to put the goodness of 2.5 kg of tofu into one tomato, according to research published in Nature Communications.

The researchers, from the John Innes Center in the UK, have discovered a way to produce industrial quantities of two useful natural compounds efficiently by growing them in tomatoes: the phenylpropanoids resveratrol and genistein.

Resveratrol has been reported to extend lifespan in animal studies and is found in red grape skins and wine. It has been linked to decreased risk of coronary artery disease and cancer prevention. Previous studies have also found that it protected against lipid peroxidation in cell membranes and DNA damage caused by reactive oxygen species, which contribute to oxidative stress.

Genistein is found in soybeans. Tests have shown that it may help prevent steroid-hormone related cancers, particularly breast cancer, and that it could help to enhance the body's immune responses.

Benefits of 50 bottles of red wine in one tomato

Dr. Yang Zhang and colleagues have found a way to make one tomato produce the same quantity of resveratrol as exists in 50 bottles of red wine, or the same amount of genistein found in 2.5 kg of tofu.

They have been studying the effect of a protein called AtMYB12, found in Arabidopsis thaliana - a plant that grows in most UK gardens and is used as a model plant in scientific investigation. 

The protein AtMYB12 activates a broad set of genes involved in metabolic pathways responsible for producing natural compounds that are useful for the plant.

AtMYB12 is able to increase or reduce the production of natural compounds, depending on how much of the protein is present. 

When the protein was introduced into a tomato plant, it had two effects.

Firstly, it increased the capacity of the plant to produce natural compounds by activating phenylpropanoid production. Secondly, it influenced the amount of energy and carbon the plant dedicated to producing these natural compounds.