METHOD FOR THE PRODUCTION OF CROCETIN AND USES THEREOF IN THE FOOD, NUTRACEUTICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL SECTOR

The invention provides materials and methods for the recombinant production of apocarotenoids in transgenic bacteria and plants, wherein said transgenic organisms express at least one heterologous gene from a plant species selected from Handroanthus impetiginosus, Paulownia tomentosa, and/or Physalis peruviana. Furthermore, the present invention also relates to genetic constructs comprising at least one heterologous gene, at least one plasmid, and/or at least one vector comprising said heterologous gene(s), their use for expression in bacteria and plants, and methods for obtaining such genetically modified bacteria and plants having a high concentration of apocarotenoid compounds, in particular crocins and picrocrocins. In addition, this disclosure also relates to compositions comprising such obtained apocarotenoids and their uses.