Biofortification in Crops and Human Nutrition

During the diagnosis of patients suffering from vitamin and mineral deficiency, doctors have noticed a unique phenomenon at times. Even though these individuals have consumed food regularly, they lack the required nutrition. This scenario occurs due to the lack of micronutrients like vitamin A, zinc, iron, etc. in their staple food.

Therefore, to counter this problem and enhance the micronutrient quotient of any food, biofortification is used.

Process of Biofortification 

The process by which the nutritional value of food crops is enhanced by various methods which include agronomic practices, plant breeding and other modern biotechnological techniques. Basically, it is a process of growing crops to increase the nutrition value from the seed. Fortification is different from food fortification which involves the improvement of the nutritional content which is present in the food crops during the stage of processing. In biofortification, the nutritional value which is present in the crops is improved during the growth stage of the plant as the nutritional micronutrients in the plant are fixed in the crop which is being grown.

The crops can be biofortified which is done through selective breeding or genetic engineering. In India, biofortification is mainly done through selective breeding. Biofortification is mainly focused on the research of zinc, iron and vitamin A deficiencies. These are the micronutrients whose deficiencies affect a lot of people worldwide.

For example, take a look at the biofortification of wheat, especially in the variant termed transgenic wheat (Triticum aestivum).

1. The pro-vitamin A in wheat has been improved via bacterial PSY along with carotene desaturase genes.

2. Moreover, the betterment of iron within wheat has been done through the ferritin gene which is found in soybean and wheat.

3. Now, to improve the bioavailability of iron, phytase activity has been stepped-up by expressing phytochrome genes. Additionally, phytic acid has been decreased by suppressing ABCC13 transporters in wheat. 

4. Protein contents, especially methionine, amino acids lysine, cysteine, and tyrosine contents, are also enhanced using the amaranthus albumin gene. 

5. Moreover, wheat has been used to better antioxidant and other similar activities by venting the maize regulatory genes in the production of anthocyanin. 

6. Last but not least, resistant amylose and less digestible starch have been boosted in wheat by suppressing gene encoding SBEs. It addresses the difficulties of overnutrition and obesity.

Techniques of Biofortification

The main techniques or methods through which crops can be biofortified are explained below –

Agronomic Practices – It involves the application of fertilizers so that the quantity of micronutrients that are present in the plant can be increased which is grown in the soil conditions that are poor for those minerals.

Conventional Plant Breeding – Conventional plant breeding involves those traditional breeding methods by which sufficient genetic variations can be produced for the desired trait in the crops like a high content of any micronutrient. This is the only method that is used in India for the production of biofortified crops.

Genetic Engineering / Modification – It involves the inserting of DNA into the genome of organism so that new or different characteristics can be introduced like being resistant to any disease.

Examples of Biofortification

The common examples of biofortification of food crops are given below –

Iron biofortification – Sweet potato, beans, rice, cassava and legumes.

Provitamin A carotenoid biofortification – Sweet potato, cassava and maize.

Zinc biofortification – Beans, rice, sweet potato, maize and wheat.

Amino acid and biofortification of protein – Sorghum and cassava.

Benefits of Biofortification

It helps in improving the overall health of the people. Such crops provide better yields and are more resilient to pests, diseases and droughts. Biofortification offers sustainable, food-based and low dose alternatives to iron supplements.

It helps in benefitting the farmers and also has the potential for reaching out to the poor section of society. Once the initial research is done, the process of biofortification can be easily replicated and hence it is highly cost-effective.

Challenges of Biofortification

There are some challenges which is being faced in biofortification and those are –

Due to the biofortification, the colour of the grain changes and hence people starts hesitating to accept biofortified food like golden rice.

For implementing biofortification, the initial cost can be a barrier for people.

The farmers should also need to adopt biofortification on a large scale.

What are Micronutrients?

A word closely associated with biofortification is micronutrients. Micronutrients are a group of essential nutrients required by human beings in small amounts. Moreover, it performs an extensive range of crucial bodily functions and helps in proper development. Examples of micronutrients are copper, iron, zinc, etc.

Why is the Purpose of Biofortification?

The primary purpose of biofortification is to solve the problem of a lack of essential nutrients. The benefits of biofortification can easily reach people who live in the interiors and do not have access to a diverse diet. Usually, they consume their staple food, from what they grow. Thus, they suffer from a lack of micronutrients at times.

Biofortification can solve this problem by combining increased micronutrients with preferred agronomic. Therefore, they can outperform the variety produced by farmers organically. Hence, consuming biofortified crops can ensure a more balanced diet in the long term.

Biofortification has played a crucial role in improving diet and subsequently overall health of human beings. Moreover, students can learn about other processes of fortification from our detailed study notes. Additionally, you can join our online live classes by downloading our Vedantu app for a more interactive learning session.