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Gulyas BZ, Mogeni B, Jackson P, Walton J, Caton SJ. Biofortification as a food-based strategy to improve nutrition in high-income countries: a scoping review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2024:1-22. [PMID: 39269149 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2024.2402998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
Biofortification (increasing the micronutrient content of food before harvest) has been successfully used to nutritionally improve staple foods in low- and middle-income countries. This approach could also help address micronutrient shortfalls in at-risk populations in high-income countries (HICs), however, the potential of biofortification interventions in this context is not well understood. The aim of this scoping review is to assess the nature and extent of available research evidence on biofortified foods in relation to human consumption in HICs. Literature searches were conducted in MEDLINE, WoS, ProQuest, CINAHL, AGRIS and Epistemonikos. Forty-six peer-reviewed articles were included. Most research was conducted in the USA (n = 15) and Italy (n = 11), on cereal crops (n = 14) and vegetables (n = 11), and on selenium (n = 12) and provitamin A (n = 11). Seven research domains were identified in the literature: bioavailability (n = 17); nutrient stability (n = 11); opinions and attitudes (n = 9); functionality (n = 9); sensory properties (n = 2); safety (n = 1); and modeling (n = 1). Evidence from HICs in each domain is limited. There is a need for more research particularly in areas sensitive to the cultural and socio-economic context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boglarka Z Gulyas
- Sheffield Centre for Health And Related Research, Division of Population Health, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Brenda Mogeni
- Sheffield Centre for Health And Related Research, Division of Population Health, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Peter Jackson
- Institute for Sustainable Food, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jenny Walton
- Commercialization and Scaling, HarvestPlus, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Samantha J Caton
- Sheffield Centre for Health And Related Research, Division of Population Health, School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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Chilala P, Skalickova S, Horky P. Selenium Status of Southern Africa. Nutrients 2024; 16:975. [PMID: 38613007 PMCID: PMC11013911 DOI: 10.3390/nu16070975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Selenium is an essential trace element that exists in inorganic forms (selenite and selenates) and organic forms (selenoamino acids, seleno peptides, and selenoproteins). Selenium is known to aid in the function of the immune system for populations where human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is endemic, as studies suggest that a lack of selenium is associated with a higher risk of mortality among those with HIV. In a recent study conducted in Zambia, adults had a median plasma selenium concentration of 0.27 μmol/L (IQR 0.14-0.43). Concentrations consistent with deficiency (<0.63 μmol/L) were found in 83% of adults. With these results, it can be clearly seen that selenium levels in Southern Africa should be investigated to ensure the good health of both livestock and humans. The recommended selenium dietary requirement of most domesticated livestock is 0.3 mg Se/kg, and in humans above 19 years, anRDA (recommended daily allowance) of 55 mcg Se/per dayisis recommended, but most of the research findings of Southern African countries have recorded low levels. With research findings showing alarming low levels of selenium in soils, humans, and raw feed materials in Southern Africa, further research will be vital in answering questions on how best to improve the selenium status of Southern African soils and plants for livestock and humans to attain sufficient quantities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Pavel Horky
- Department of Animal Nutrition and Forage Production, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Zemedelska 3, 613 00 Brno, Czech Republic; (P.C.); (S.S.)
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Melnick RL, Jarvis L, Hendley P, Garcia-Alonso M, Metzger MJ, Ramankutty N, Teem JL, Roberts A. GEnZ explorer: a tool for visualizing agroclimate to inform research and regulatory risk assessment. Transgenic Res 2023; 32:321-337. [PMID: 37278871 PMCID: PMC10409678 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-023-00354-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Confined field trials (CFT) of genetically engineered (GE) crops are used to generate data to inform environmental risk assessments (ERA). ERAs are required by regulatory authorities before novel GE crops can be released for cultivation. The transportability of CFT data to inform risk assessment in countries other than those where the CFT was conducted has been discussed previously in an analysis showing that the primary difference between CFT locations potentially impacting trial outcomes is the physical environment, particularly the agroclimate. This means that data from trials carried out in similar agroclimates could be considered relevant and sufficient to satisfy regulatory requirements for CFT data, irrespective of the country where the CFTs are conducted. This paper describes the development of an open-source tool to assist in determining the transportability of CFT data. This tool provides agroclimate together with overall crop production information to assist regulators and applicants in making informed choices on whether data from previous CFTs can inform an environmental risk assessment in a new country, as well as help developers determine optimal locations for planning future CFTs. The GEnZ Explorer is a freely available, thoroughly documented, and open-source tool that allows users to identify the agroclimate zones that are relevant for the production of 21 major crops and crop categories or to determine the agroclimatic zone at a specific location. This tool will help provide additional scientific justification for CFT data transportability, along with spatial visualization, to help ensure regulatory transparency.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Larissa Jarvis
- McGill University, 845 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Paul Hendley
- Phasera Ltd., 7 Kenilworth Avenue, Bracknell, Berkshire, UK
| | | | - Marc J Metzger
- School of Geosciences, Geography and the Lived Environment, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Navin Ramankutty
- School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - John L Teem
- Genetic Biocontrols LLC, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Andrew Roberts
- Agriculture and Food Systems Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
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Dwivedi SL, Garcia-Oliveira AL, Govindaraj M, Ortiz R. Biofortification to avoid malnutrition in humans in a changing climate: Enhancing micronutrient bioavailability in seed, tuber, and storage roots. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1119148. [PMID: 36794214 PMCID: PMC9923027 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1119148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Malnutrition results in enormous socio-economic costs to the individual, their community, and the nation's economy. The evidence suggests an overall negative impact of climate change on the agricultural productivity and nutritional quality of food crops. Producing more food with better nutritional quality, which is feasible, should be prioritized in crop improvement programs. Biofortification refers to developing micronutrient -dense cultivars through crossbreeding or genetic engineering. This review provides updates on nutrient acquisition, transport, and storage in plant organs; the cross-talk between macro- and micronutrients transport and signaling; nutrient profiling and spatial and temporal distribution; the putative and functionally characterized genes/single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with Fe, Zn, and β-carotene; and global efforts to breed nutrient-dense crops and map adoption of such crops globally. This article also includes an overview on the bioavailability, bioaccessibility, and bioactivity of nutrients as well as the molecular basis of nutrient transport and absorption in human. Over 400 minerals (Fe, Zn) and provitamin A-rich cultivars have been released in the Global South. Approximately 4.6 million households currently cultivate Zn-rich rice and wheat, while ~3 million households in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America benefit from Fe-rich beans, and 2.6 million people in sub-Saharan Africa and Brazil eat provitamin A-rich cassava. Furthermore, nutrient profiles can be improved through genetic engineering in an agronomically acceptable genetic background. The development of "Golden Rice" and provitamin A-rich dessert bananas and subsequent transfer of this trait into locally adapted cultivars are evident, with no significant change in nutritional profile, except for the trait incorporated. A greater understanding of nutrient transport and absorption may lead to the development of diet therapy for the betterment of human health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ana Luísa Garcia-Oliveira
- International Maize and Wheat Research Center, Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz. y Trigo (CIMMYT), Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Molecular Biology, College of Biotechnology, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hissar, India
| | - Mahalingam Govindaraj
- HarvestPlus Program, Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Cali, Colombia
| | - Rodomiro Ortiz
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Lomma, Sweden
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Dwivedi SL, Mattoo AK, Garg M, Dutt S, Singh B, Ortiz R. Developing Germplasm and Promoting Consumption of Anthocyanin-Rich Grains for Health Benefits. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.867897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Malnutrition, unhealthy diets, and lifestyle changes are the major risk factors for overweight and obesity-linked chronic diseases in humans adversely impact achieving sustainable development goals. Colored grains are a source of anthocyanins, a group of flavonoids, that contribute positively to human health. This review focuses on genetic variation harnessed through breeding and biotechnology tools for developing anthocyanin-rich grain crops. Agronomic practices, genotype × environment interactions, different stresses, seed development and seed maturity are factors that impact the content and composition of anthocyanins. Significant progress has been made in characterizing genes associated with anthocyanin biosynthesis in cereal and other crops. Breeding has led to the development and release of grain anthocyanin-rich crop cultivars in Europe, America and in some countries in Asia. Notably, genetic engineering utilizing specific transcription factors and gene editing has led to the development of anthocyanin-rich genetic variants without any significant yield penalty. A variety of food products derived from colored grains or flours are now available in grocery stores and supermarkets worldwide. The public perception about anthocyanin-rich food is positive, but availability, affordability, and willingness to pay a higher price than before limit consumption. Together with other seed nutrition traits in breeding programs the inclusion of anthocyanins can ensure the development of cultivars that meet nutrition needs of humans, especially in the developing world.
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Current Status and Potential of Biofortification to Enhance Crop Nutritional Quality: An Overview. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14063301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Around 2 billion people are suffering from chronic malnutrition or “hidden hunger”, which is the result of many diseases and disorders, including cognitive degeneration, stunting growth, and mortality. Thus, biofortification of staple food crops enriched with micronutrients is a more sustainable option for providing nutritional supplements and managing malnutrition in a society. Since 2001, when the concept of biofortification came to light, different research activities have been carried out, like the development of target populations, breeding or genetic engineering, and the release of biofortified cultivars, in addition to conducting nutritional efficacy trials and delivery plan development. Although, being a cost-effective intervention, it still faces many challenges, like easy accessibility of biofortified cultivars, stakeholders’ acceptance, and the availability of biofortified germplasm in the public domain, which varies from region to region. Hence, this review is focused on the recent potential, efforts made to crop biofortification, impacts analysis on human health, cost-effectiveness, and future perspectives to further strengthen biofortification programs. Through regular interventions of sustainable techniques and methodologies, biofortification holds huge potential to solve the malnutrition problem through regular interventions of nutrient-enriched staple food options for billions of people globally.
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Welsch R, Li L. Golden Rice—Lessons learned for inspiring future metabolic engineering strategies and synthetic biology solutions. Methods Enzymol 2022; 671:1-29. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.mie.2022.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Shahzad R, Jamil S, Ahmad S, Nisar A, Khan S, Amina Z, Kanwal S, Aslam HMU, Gill RA, Zhou W. Biofortification of Cereals and Pulses Using New Breeding Techniques: Current and Future Perspectives. Front Nutr 2021; 8:721728. [PMID: 34692743 PMCID: PMC8528959 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.721728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cereals and pulses are consumed as a staple food in low-income countries for the fulfillment of daily dietary requirements and as a source of micronutrients. However, they are failing to offer balanced nutrition due to deficiencies of some essential compounds, macronutrients, and micronutrients, i.e., cereals are deficient in iron, zinc, some essential amino acids, and quality proteins. Meanwhile, the pulses are rich in anti-nutrient compounds that restrict the bioavailability of micronutrients. As a result, the population is suffering from malnutrition and resultantly different diseases, i.e., anemia, beriberi, pellagra, night blindness, rickets, and scurvy are common in the society. These facts highlight the need for the biofortification of cereals and pulses for the provision of balanced diets to masses and reduction of malnutrition. Biofortification of crops may be achieved through conventional approaches or new breeding techniques (NBTs). Conventional approaches for biofortification cover mineral fertilization through foliar or soil application, microbe-mediated enhanced uptake of nutrients, and conventional crossing of plants to obtain the desired combination of genes for balanced nutrient uptake and bioavailability. Whereas, NBTs rely on gene silencing, gene editing, overexpression, and gene transfer from other species for the acquisition of balanced nutritional profiles in mutant plants. Thus, we have highlighted the significance of conventional and NBTs for the biofortification of cereals and pulses. Current and future perspectives and opportunities are also discussed. Further, the regulatory aspects of newly developed biofortified transgenic and/or non-transgenic crop varieties via NBTs are also presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahil Shahzad
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Shakra Jamil
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Shakeel Ahmad
- Maize Research Station, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Amina Nisar
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Sipper Khan
- Tropics and Subtropics Group, Institute of Agricultural Engineering, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Zarmaha Amina
- Tropics and Subtropics Group, Institute of Agricultural Engineering, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Shamsa Kanwal
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | | | - Rafaqat Ali Gill
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Weijun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Spectroscopy Sensing, The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Crop Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Biswas PS, Swamy BPM, Kader MA, Hossain MA, Boncodin R, Samia M, Hassan ML, Wazuddin M, MacKenzie D, Reinke R. Development and Field Evaluation of Near-Isogenic Lines of GR2-EBRRI dhan29 Golden Rice. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:619739. [PMID: 33719290 PMCID: PMC7947304 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.619739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Vitamin A deficiency remains a common public health problem among the rice-dependent poor people in the developing countries of Asia. Conventional milled rice does not contain provitamin A (β-carotene) in is edible part (endosperm) and is also deficient in essential minerals, such as iron and zinc. Transgenic Golden Rice event GR2E, which produces β-carotene in its endosperm, was used as a parent to introgress the transgene locus conferring β-carotene biosynthesis into a widely grown rice variety, BRRI dhan29, which covers around 26.1% of the irrigated rice area (4.901 Mha) of Bangladesh in the dry season. The current study reports the introgression process and field performance of GR2E BRRI dhan29 Golden Rice. The background recovery of GR2E BRRI dhan29 lines at BC5F2 generation was more than 98% with a 6K SNP-chip set. The transgenic GR2E BRRI dhan29 yielded 6.2 t/ha to 7.7 t/ha with an average of 7.0 ± 0.38 t/ha, while the non-transgenic BRRI dhan29 yielded 7.0 t/ha under confined field conditions in Bangladesh. Moreover, no significant difference between GR2-E BRRI dhan29 Golden Rice and non-transgenic BRRI dhan29 in any measured trait was observed in the multi-location trials conducted at five locations across the country. Furthermore, the appearance of cooked and uncooked rice was similar to that of BRRI dhan29 except for the yellow color indicating the presence of carotenoids. Total carotenoid content in the selected introgression lines ranged from 8.5 to 12.5 μg/g with an average of 10.6 ± 1.16 μg/g. This amount is sufficient to deliver approximately 66 and 80% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A for children and women, respectively, assuming complete substitution of white rice in the diet with Golden Rice. However, the lead selected line(s) need further evaluation at open field conditions before deciding for commercial cultivation. A large-scale feeding trial among the malnourished community with this newly developed GR2-E BRRI dhan29 Golden Rice is also required to validate its efficacy in alleviating vitamin A deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Partha S. Biswas
- Plant Breeding Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh
| | | | - Md. Abdul Kader
- Plant Breeding Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Alamgir Hossain
- Plant Breeding Division, Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh
| | - Raul Boncodin
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Philippines
| | - Mercy Samia
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Philippines
| | - Md. Lutful Hassan
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
| | - M. Wazuddin
- Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
| | - Donald MacKenzie
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| | - Russell Reinke
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Philippines
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Hirschi KD. Genetically Modified Plants: Nutritious, Sustainable, yet Underrated. J Nutr 2020; 150:2628-2634. [PMID: 32725215 PMCID: PMC7549299 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxaa220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Combating malnutrition is one of the greatest global health challenges. Plant-based foods offer an assortment of nutrients that are essential for adequate nutrition and can promote good health. Unfortunately, the majority of widely consumed crops are deficient in some of these nutrients. Biofortification is the umbrella term for the process by which the nutritional quality of food crops is enhanced. Traditional agricultural breeding approaches for biofortification are time consuming but can enhance the nutritional value of some foods; however, advances in molecular biology are rapidly being exploited to biofortify various crops. Globally, genetically modified organisms are a controversial topic for consumers and governmental agencies, with a vast majority of people apprehensive about the technology. Golden Rice has been genetically modified to contain elevated β-carotene concentrations and is the bellwether for both the promise and angst of agricultural biotechnology. Although there are numerous other nutritional targets of genetically biofortified crops, here I briefly summarize the work to elevate iron and folate concentrations. In addition, the possibility of using modified foods to affect the gut microbiota is examined. For several decades, plant biotechnology has measured changes in nutrient concentrations; however, the bioavailability of nutrients from many biofortified crops has not been demonstrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendal D Hirschi
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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