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Murgia I, Morandini P. Plant Iron Research in African Countries: Current "Hot Spots", Approaches, and Potentialities. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:14. [PMID: 38202322 PMCID: PMC10780554 DOI: 10.3390/plants13010014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
Plant iron (Fe) nutrition and metabolism is a fascinating and challenging research topic; understanding the role of Fe in the life cycle of plants requires knowledge of Fe chemistry and biochemistry and their impact during development. Plant Fe nutritional status is dependent on several factors, including the surrounding biotic and abiotic environments, and influences crop yield and the nutritional quality of edible parts. The relevance of plant Fe research will further increase globally, particularly for Africa, which is expected to reach 2.5 billion people by 2050. The aim of this review is to provide an updated picture of plant Fe research conducted in African countries to favor its dissemination within the scientific community. Three main research hotspots have emerged, and all of them are related to the production of plants of superior quality, i.e., development of Fe-dense crops, development of varieties resilient to Fe toxicity, and alleviation of Fe deficiency, by means of Fe nanoparticles for sustainable agriculture. An intensification of research collaborations between the African research groups and plant Fe groups worldwide would be beneficial for the progression of the identified research topics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Murgia
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy;
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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: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [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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Marra R, Lombardi N, Piccolo A, Bazghaleh N, Prashar P, Vandenberg A, Woo S. Mineral Biofortification and Growth Stimulation of Lentil Plants Inoculated with Trichoderma Strains and Metabolites. Microorganisms 2021; 10:87. [PMID: 35056535 PMCID: PMC8779936 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10010087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofortification of crops via agricultural interventions represents an excellent way to supply micronutrients in poor rural populations, who highly suffer from these deficiencies. Soil microbes can directly influence plant growth and productivity, e.g., by contrasting plant pathogens or facilitating micronutrient assimilation in harvested crop-food products. Among these microbial communities, Trichoderma fungi are well-known examples of plant symbionts widely used in agriculture as biofertilizers or biocontrol agents. In this work, eleven Trichoderma strains and/or their bioactive metabolites (BAMs) were applied to lentil plants to evaluate their effects on plant growth and mineral content in greenhouse or field experiments. Our results indicated that, depending upon the different combinations of fungal strain and/or BAM, the mode of treatment (seed and/or watering), as well as the supplementary watering with solutions of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), the mineral absorption was differentially affected in treated plants compared with the water controls. In greenhouse conditions, the largest increase in Fe and Zn contents occurred when the compounds were applied to the seeds and the strains (in particular, T. afroharzianum T22, T. harzianum TH1, and T. virens GV41) to the soil. In field experiments, Fe and Zn contents increased in plants treated with T. asperellum strain KV906 or the hydrophobin HYTLO1 compared with controls. Both selected fungal strains and BAMs applications improved seed germination and crop yield. This biotechnology may represent an important challenge for natural biofortification of crops, thus reducing the risk of nutrient deficiencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Marra
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy; (N.L.); (A.P.)
- Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Center), University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Nadia Lombardi
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy; (N.L.); (A.P.)
- Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Center), University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy;
| | - Alessandro Piccolo
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy; (N.L.); (A.P.)
- Interdepartmental Research Centre on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) for the Environment, Agro-Food and New Materials (CERMANU), University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
| | - Navid Bazghaleh
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N5A8, Canada; (N.B.); (P.P.); (A.V.)
| | - Pratibha Prashar
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N5A8, Canada; (N.B.); (P.P.); (A.V.)
| | - Albert Vandenberg
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N5A8, Canada; (N.B.); (P.P.); (A.V.)
| | - Sheridan Woo
- Center for Studies on Bioinspired Agro-Environmental Technology (BAT Center), University of Naples Federico II, 80138 Naples, Italy;
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
- National Research Council, Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, 80055 Portici, Italy
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