62 Part I: Principles
components that provide health benefits, but are
found in low quantities in plants. Among such com-
ponents that have anticancer properties are lyco-
penes found in tomato, glucosinolates found in
broccoli, ellagic acids found in strawberry, and iso-
flavonoids found in soybean. Further biotechnology
advances will enhance the value and scope of the
use of microorganisms in the food and pharmaceuti-
cal industry.
Besides the production of novel compounds and
the improvement of existing ones, biotechnology
plays an important role in food safety. Microbial
contamination is a major concern in the food indus-
try. New biotechnology methods are being devel-Figure 3.16.Diagram of protein-misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA). (From Saborio et al. 2001.)