“Bio-Fortification”

 

  Micronutrients and vitamins are currently listed as major risk factors for human health and cause of death globally. One of the reasons for deficiency of Zn, Fe and vit A in human beings would be a low status of Zn, Fe and vit A in our food materials that we eat. Hence, increasing the Zn, Fe and vit A concentration of food crop plants, resulting in better crop production and improved human health is an important global challenge. Among the strategies being discussed as major solution to micronutrients deficiency, plant breeding strategies (e,g., genetic biofortiftcation ) appears to be a most sustainable and cost-effective approach useful in improving Zn, Fe and vit A concentration in food grains. However, it is a long –term process requiring a substantial effort and resources . Alternatively, application of micronutrients fertilizers or micronutrients-enriched NPK fertilizers (e.g., agronomic biofortification) offers a rapid solution to the problem, and represents useful complementary approach to on-going breeding programs.

            Biofortification is the process of increasing the micronutrient density of staple food crops.  These crops are “biofortified” by loading higher levels of minerals and vitamins in their seeds and roots during growth. These crops can naturally reduce anemia, cognitive impairment and other malnutrition-related health problems that affect billions of people. 

            The lack of micronutrients such as Fe and Zn in staple food crops is a widespread nutrition and health problem in developing countries. Biofortification is one of the sustainable approaches, for improving the Fe and Zn content and their bioavailability in rice grain. Screening germplasm for Fe and Zn content is the initial step of biofortification. We analyzed brown rice of 126 accessions of rice genotypes for Fe and Zn concentration. Iron concentration ranged from 6.2 ppm to 71.6 ppm and zinc from 26.2 ppm to 67.3 ppm (Anuradha et al., 2012)

            Iron-biofortified rice was produced using three transgenic approaches by enhancing iron storage in grains via expression of the iron storage protein ferritin using endosperm-specific promoters, enhancing iron translocation through overproduction of the natural metal chelator nicotianamine, and enhancing iron flux into the endosperm by means of iron(II)-nicotianamine transporter OsYSL2 expression under the control of an endosperm-specific promoter and sucrose transporter promoter (Hiroshi et al.,2012).

            Zinc deficiency prevalence in sub‐Saharan Africa is estimated to be 13‐47% of the population, 18‐36% in South Asia, and 27‐39% in SoutheastAsia (Bouise et al., 2011). Zinc deficiency prevalence in sub‐Saharan Africa is estimated to be 13‐47% of the population, 18‐36% in South Asia, and 27‐39% in SoutheastAsia (Bouise et al., 2011).  Zinc concentrations in rice grain typically range from 10 to 40 mg kg‐1 with a median of 16 mg kg‐1 and similarly wheat grain Zn concentrations range from 13 to 68 mg kg‐1 with a median of 31 mg kg‐1 (Welch and Graham, 1999).

            Vitamin A is bio fortified in a crops through genetic engineering methods ex. Golden Rice. Some of pro vitamin A bio fortified crops are Rice, Banana, Perl millet, Cassava and Sweet potato.

            It concluded that Bio-fortification is the process of increasing the micronutrient density of staple food crops and it is a cost effective and best method used to overcome from the malnutrition problem of billion people. 

. 

REFERENCES

ANURADHA, K., SUREKHA A., ANIL, B. K., PRASAD, B. A.,  MALLIKARJUNA B. P., LONGVAH, T. AND SARLA, N., 2012, Evaluating rice germplasm for iron and zinc concentration in brown rice and seed dimensions. Journal of Phytology., 4:19-25

 

BOUIS, H.E., BOY‐GALLEGO AND MEENAKSHI., 2011, In: Micronutrient malnutrition. A Scientific Review. In Press.

 

HIROSHI, M., YASUHIRO, I., MAYSANNANGU., TAKANARIKOBAYASHI., YASUKE, K., MICHIKO., TAKAHASHI., KYOKO, H., HIRONI, N., NISHIZAWA.,2012, Iron biofortification in rice by the introduction of multiple genes involved in iron nutrition. Sci Rep., 2:543.

 

WELCH, R. M. AND GRAHAM, R. D. (1999) A new paradigm for world agriculture: meeting human needs  -productive, sustainable, nutritious. Field Crop Res. 60: 1‐10.