Cotton seed protein is a rich source of amino acids, arginine and glutamic acid and has the highest concentration of the oxidant vitamin 'E', hence it has potential as "nutraceuticals" in the human, diet, if cotton seed is free from gossypol glands. Development of glanded plants with glandless seed for imparting insect resistance and ensuring clean seed oil without any industrial processing. The methods employed today for removal/ inactivation ofgossypol increases the cost ofproduction. Efforts to identify gene/s that block the pathway of synthesis of gossypol glands in seed but not in other plant parts are needed. This includes basic research on the biosynthetic pathways that produces gossypol in the cotton plant using molecular biology and gene technology like gene silencing seed specific cadinen synthase gene and manipulation of peroxidase enzyme, a cytochrome P450 enzyme as well as ocimene and myrecene volatile compound producing gene.
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