Binbinon, Tom Ivan III Section W – Q1

EGGPLANT

Photo of Solanum melongena, more commonly known as eggplant. “talong” in the Philippines (Photo taken by Tom Binbinon)

Ever since man invented agriculture and became sedentary, the domestication of plant and
animal organisms came along with it. The eggplant today, Solanum melongena, is another vegetable
that has been cultivated many years ago for both human consumption and even medication. And,
much like livestock and crop plants like corn, the eggplant has been put through the process of
artificial selection, an early biotechnological process where selective breeding is done mostly based
on phenotypic characters that eventually leads to the change in the genetic characters of an
organism over time (Evolution: artificial selection and domestication, n.d.). The resulting product is
an organism with character traits that are more favorable, such as resistances to diseases, larger
sizes, or even better taste, for the various purposes of our ancestors, which they achieved and
practiced without the knowledge of genetics.

In our modern era where science and technology have developed significantly, it is not surprising
that the eggplant has been studied to be genetically modified through modern biotechnological
means. In the year 2000, the India-based Maharashtra Hybird Seed Company (Mahyco) started the
development of Bt eggplant, a genetically modified organism, due to the widespread infestation of
the eggplant fruit and shoot borer (EFSB), Leucinodes orbonalis Guenée. To successfully create the Bt
eggplant, Mahyco isolated the cry1Ac gene, which produces an insecticidal protein, from the
bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis and incorporated it into the genome of the eggplant via genetic
recombination (Shelton et al., 2017). This genetically modified eggplant is then grown and, in theory,
should already produce the protein that protects it from pests such as EFSB. What’s interesting to
note is that this protein does not get washed away unlike insecticides, acting as a built-in defense
mechanism for the eggplant.
 Ancient Chinese literature describe
the eggplant as a round,
unapalatable vegetable that is as
large as an iron pellet used in Chinese
slingshots (Wang, et al., 2008)
Ancient Chinese literature describe
the eggplant as a round and oval
vegetable that is as large as a teacup
but with a sweet and delicious taste
(Wang et al., 2008)
Partnership between Mahyco, Cornell In Bangladesh, widespread demonstration
University, USAID, and other countries trials were continued. In the Philippines, Bt
for the development of BT eggplant eggplant field trials were suspended but later
(Shelton et al., 2017) revoked by July 2016 (Shelton et al., 2017)

Dispersion event of S. Abu In Sina, a philosopher in Ancient Chinese literature Four varieties of Bt eggplant
insanum, a wild relative Persia, urged caution on the describe the eggplant as having was approved by the
of the eggplant, across use of eggplants as it may lead other, longer varieties that is Bangladesh government for
Africa and Asia (Aubriot to negative health effects sweeter and more delicious demonstration trials
et al., 2018) (Daunay and Janick, 2007) than ever and may even weigh (Shelton et al., 2017)
up to 1.55 kg (Wang et al., 2008)
2
million 12th - 18th -
years 5th - 6th 980 - 13th 19th 2015 -
ago Century 1037 Century Century 2003 2013 2016

300 BCE 8th - 9th 1126 - 14th - 2000 2005 - 2014 2017
Century 1198 16th 2012
Century

Sanskrit documents in Abu al Walid Ibn Rushd, an Mahyco initiated the In Bangladesh, Bt seedlings
India indicate the use of Andalusian-Arab physician, development of a genetically were distributed to 20
eggplants as food and describes the cultivation of modified eggplant known as farmers in 4 different disticts
medicine (Daunay and eggplant in his book of agriculture “Bt eggplant” (Shelton et al., for demonstration trials
Janick, 2007) (Daunay and Janick, 2007) 2017) (Shelton et al., 2017)

Ancient Chinese literature Ancient Chinese literature Start of breeding and In Bangladesh, mass cultivation
describe the eggplant as delicious describe the eggplant as larger efficacy trials of Bt and consumption of BT
as results of further cultivation and sweeter than previously eggplant by Mahyco and eggplant has been approved
and artificial selection (Wang et documented (Wang et al., 2008) its partners (Shelton et (Shelton et al., 2017)
al., 2008) al., 2017)
 THOUGHT: POTENTIAL IMPACT IN THE LOSS OF THE PRODUCT

The immediate loss of the eggplant as a product would have detrimental effects on the
economies of various countries today. China and India account for the production of roughly 80% of
eggplants worldwide (Chapman, 2019), and in the Philippines, it is considered as the number one
vegetable crop produced in the country and accounts for more than 30% of the total production
volume of vegetables (Hautea et al., 2016). Not only does it account for a significant amount of
exports for the economies of the mentioned countries, but it would also affect the living status of
eggplant farmers by taking away their main source of income.

The immediate loss of the eggplant would mean missing out on all the benefits it would give
as a plant itself. Eggplants as a food source would give several beneficial health effects as it is a good
source of vitamins and minerals and is high in fiber and water content (Shelton et al., 2017).

The eggplant, whatever species it may be in, has even embedded its importance in the
academic sector. According to Chapman (2019), eggplants have been used in studies that involve
parallel evolution, in experiments for understanding pathogenic infection, as subjects for crop
improvement, and even as models for understanding the wider effects of genetic modification. If the
eggplant were to disappear, its corresponding influences in the academe would also disappear,
ending its potential in furthering the knowledge and understanding thereof.
 References

Aubriot, X., Knapp, S., Syfert, M. M., Poczai, P., & Buerki, S. (2018). Shedding new light on the origin
and spread of the brinjal eggplant (Solanum melongenaL.) and its wild relatives. American
Journal of Botany, 105(7), 1175–1187. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1133

Chapman, M. A. (2019). Introduction: The Importance of Eggplant. Compendium of Plant Genomes

The Eggplant Genome, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-99208-2_1

Daunay, M.-C., & Janick, J. (2007). History and Iconography of Eggplant. CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE,
47(3), 16–22. https://doi.org/https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/chronicaeggplant.pdf

Evolution: artificial selection and domestication. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/nature-

environment/natural-history/evolution-artificial-selection-and-domestication/content-
section-1.2.

Hautea, D. M., Taylo, L. D., Masanga, A. P. L., Sison, M. L. J., Narciso, J. O., Quilloy, R. B., … Shelton, A.
M. (2016). Field Performance of Bt Eggplants (Solanum melongena L.) in the Philippines:
Cry1Ac Expression and Control of the Eggplant Fruit and Shoot Borer (Leucinodes orbonalis
Guenée). Plos One, 11(6). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0157498

Shelton, A. M., Hokanson, K. E., Hautea, D. M., Hossain, M. J., Paranjape, M. A., Hautea, R. A., …
Sarwer, S. H. (2017, August). Bt Eggplant: A Genetically Engineered ‘Minor’ Crop Comes of Age
in Bangladesh and the Philippines. ISB News Report.

Wang, J.-X., Gao, T.-G., & Knapp, S. (2008). Ancient Chinese Literature Reveals Pathways of Eggplant
Domestication. Annals of Botany, 102(6), 891–897. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcn179