The present invention relates to increasing at least one antioxidant level in a plant or plant product by expressing a polynucleotide that encodes a transcription factor, which is active in a flavonoid pathway. Overexpression of, for instance, a novel and newly-identified gene, the mCai gene, in a plant, results in increased accumulation of chlorogenic acid and other related phenolics, which, in turn, increases the levels of beneficial antioxidant in the plant.
