Multicellular living organisms and unmodified parts thereof and – Plant – seedling – plant seed – or plant part – per se – Higher plant – seedling – plant seed – or plant part
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-26
2004-08-31
Campell, Bruce R. (Department: 1661)
Multicellular living organisms and unmodified parts thereof and
Plant, seedling, plant seed, or plant part, per se
Higher plant, seedling, plant seed, or plant part
C800S298000, C800S295000, C426S655000, C426S531000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06784351
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a marigold plant that contains carotenoid pigments present at other than the usual ratios. The invention more particularly relates to a marigold plant, a regenerable portion thereof, a hybrid or later generation whose petals, leaves or both petals and leaves, contain an enhanced ratio of one or more carotenoid compounds relative to lutein, and also seed that produces such a marigold plant, an oleoresin produced from such flowers or leaves and comestible products made using zeaxanthin and lutein. The flower petals of such a contemplated marigold typically also contain a measurable amount of zeta-carotene, a compound not normally found in marigold flower petals.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Numerous epidemiological studies in various populations have shown that consumption of substantial amounts of fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids can reduce the risk of acquiring several types of cancers. As a result, scientists have been focusing on investigating the protective effect of carotenoids such as beta-(&bgr;-)carotene in prevention of cancer, cardiovascular and eye diseases. These studies have been carried out despite the fact that &bgr;-carotene is only one of the prominent carotenoids found in fruits and vegetables whose consumption has been associated with health benefits. The reasons for such focus can be attributed to the pro-vitamin A activity of &bgr;-carotene and the limited commercial availability of other prominent food carotenoids.
Among the 40 to 50 carotenoids that are available from the diet and may be absorbed, metabolized, or utilized by the human body, only 13 carotenoids and 12 of their stereoisomers are routinely found in human serum and milk. [See Khachik et al.,
Anal. Chem.,
69:1873-1881 (1997).] In addition, there are 8 carotenoid metabolites and one stereoisomer in human serum or plasma that result from a series of oxidation-reduction reactions of three dietary carotenoids: lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene. These metabolites were first isolated and characterized by Khachik et al. [See Khachik et al.,
Anal. Chem.,
64:2111-2122 (1992).]
In another study, the ingestion of purified supplements of dietary (3R,3′R,6′R)-lutein and (3R,3′R)-zeaxanthin was shown to not only result in an increase in the blood levels of these compounds in humans, but also in an increase in the concentration of their oxidative metabolites in plasma. [See Khachik et al.,
J. Cellular Biochem.,
22: 236-246 (1995).] These findings provided preliminary evidence that carotenoids may function as antioxidants in disease prevention. In addition, these results also established the importance of non-vitamin A-active dietary carotenoids, particularly, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene.
There is increasing evidence that the macular pigment carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin, may play an important role in the prevention of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), cataract formation, and other light-induced oxidative eye damage. In 1985 and 1993, Bone et al. demonstrated that the human macular pigment is a combination of lutein and zeaxanthin, and speculated that these dietary carotenoids may play a role in the prevention of an eye disease ARMD. [See Bone et al.,
Vision Research,
25:1531-1535 (1985) and Bone et al.,
Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.,
34: 2033-2040 (1993).] Further work in a case-controlled epidemiological study in which the high consumption of fruits and vegetables, rich specifically in lutein and zeaxanthin was correlated to a 43 percent lower risk of ARMD later confirmed that speculation. [See Seddon et al.,
J. A. Med. Assoc.,
272(18) 1413-1420 (1994).] It has also been reported that an increased level of serum carotenoids other than &bgr;-carotene is associated with a lower incidence of heart disease. [See Morris et al.,
J. Amer. Med. Assoc.,
272(18):1439-1441(1994).]
Bernstein et al. identified and quantified the dietary carotenoids and their oxidative metabolites in all tissues of the human eye and reported that nearly all ocular structures examined with the exception of vitreous, cornea and sclera had quantifiable levels of dietary (3R,3′R,6′R)-lutein, zeaxanthin, their geometrical (E/Z) isomers, as well as their metabolites, (3R,3′S,6′R)-lutein (3′-epilutein) and 3-hydroxy-beta,epsilon-caroten-3′-one. In the iris, these pigments were thought likely to play a role in filtering phototoxic short-wavelength visible light and to act as antioxidant in the ciliary body. Both mechanisms may be operative in the retinal pigment epithelium/choroid (RPE/choroids). [See Bernstein et al.,
Exp. Eye Research,
72(3): 215-223 (2001].]
A study of the distribution of macular pigment stereoisomers in the human retina identified (3S,3′S)-zeaxanthin in the adult retina, particularly in the macula. It was proposed that dietary lutein and zeaxanthin are transported into an individual's retina in the same proportions found in the blood serum, although the two pigments are present in the eye in ratios different from those found in the blood. Thus, zeaxanthin predominates over lutein by a ratio greater than 2:1 in the foveal region, with the macular pigment optical density dropping by a factor of 100 and the zeaxanthin to lutein ratio reversing to about 1:2. [See Bone et al.,
Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.,
29:843-849(1988).] Some lutein is converted into the non-dietary mesozeaxanthin primarily in the macula. [See Bone et al.,
Exp. Eye Res.,
64(2): 211-218 (1997).] Such reports lend support to the critical role of ocular carotenoids, and therefore to the importance of commercial production of dietary carotenoids in general, and particularly lutein and zeaxanthin.
The Tagetes genus is a member of the family Compositae, alternatively known as Asteraceae, and comprises some thirty species of strongly scented annual or perennial herbs. Tagetes are native from Arizona and New Mexico to Argentina. [See
Hortus Third A Concise Dictionary of Plants Cultivated in the United States and Canada
, MacMillan Publishing Company (1976).] Cultivated genera include
Tagetes erecta
, commonly referred to as African marigold,
Tagetes patula
, commonly referred to as French marigold,
Tagetes erecta×patula
, commonly referred to as Triploid marigolds, and
Tagetes tenuifolia
also known as
Tagetes signata
or signet marigold.
A marigold inflorescence is a solitary head comprised of a dense cluster of several hundred sessile or subsessile small flowers also known as florets. Marigolds have radiate flower heads with outer ray florets that are ligulate or strap-shaped around the central tubular shaped disk florets. Some forms of marigold flower heads have most of their disk flowers transformed into ray flowers and contain few, if any, disk flowers. Such flower heads are referred to as double-flowered.
The ray flowers or florets are often referred to as petals by lay persons who may also refer to the flower heads as flowers. For ease of understanding, marigold flower heads will be referred to herein as flowers or flower heads, whereas the flower head-component flowers or florets will be referred to as petals.
Cultivated marigolds possess showy flowers and are useful for ornamental purposes. In addition, the genus is recognized as a source for natural colorants, essential oils, and thiophenes. Dried marigold petals and marigold petal concentrates obtained from so-called xanthophyll marigolds are used as feed additives in the poultry industry to intensify the yellow color of egg yolks and broiler skin. [See Piccalia et al.,
Ind. Crops and Prod.,
8:45-51 (1998).] The carotenoids desired in poultry tissues are a function of their dietary concentration, because poultry do not have the ability to synthesize carotenoids de novo. [See Balnave et al.,
Asian
-
Australiasian J. Animal Sci.,
9(5): 515-517 (1996).]
Xanthophyll marigolds differ in several characteristics from o
Blowers Alan
Hauptmann Randal
Smyser Cheryl M.
Winner Blair L.
Ball Horticultural Company
Campell Bruce R.
Hwu June
Welsh & Katz Ltd.
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