A world first! Prof. Anai and his research group have discovered the genes involved in furan acid synthesis in soybean oil and fat.

＊The following sentences are translated by the automatic translation function.

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POINT

• Furanic acid in soybean fat is degraded by light irradiation and produces an unpleasant odor called "bright spot odor
• A soybean mutant with reduced furan acid was found, and the genes involved in the synthesis of furan acid were elucidated
• Genetically, the mutant does not synthesize furanic acid, enabling the development of soybean varieties that produce less offensive odors

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SUMMARY

When exposed to light, the furanic acid contained in conventional soybean oil and fat decomposes to produce 3-methyl-2,4-nonanedione (3-MND), which gives rise to an unpleasant dead grass-like odor known as "bright spot odor".
A research group led by Professor Toyoaki Iwai of the Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Associate Professor Keishi Watanabe of the Faculty of Agriculture, Saga University, and J-Oil Mills has discovered a soybean mutant that contains almost no furanoic acid in its fats and oils, and has used this mutant to identify the genes responsible for furanoic acid synthesis in oils and fats for the first time in the world. This was the first time in the world to successfully identify the genes involved in furan acid synthesis in fats and oils.
The mutant gene that reduces furanic acid content obtained in this research can be used to develop soybean varieties that have less bright spot odor, which will enable the breeding of new soybean varieties with higher value as an oilseed crop. As a result, soybean oil with low furan acid content is expected to be useful for improving the quality of not only fats and oils but also products using soybean oil such as mayonnaise and dressings.
The combination of the results of this study and those of our previous research has made it possible to breed a new soybean variety that produces high-oleic and low-furanic acid soybean fats. This new variety of soybean is expected to enhance oxidative stability and reduce unpleasant odors associated with the deterioration of fats and oils.
The results of this research were published online in The Plant Journal, a British scientific journal, at 14:00 on November 29, 2023 (Japan Standard Time).

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Research-related inquiries

Toyoaki Anai,Professor