Agronomic Biofortification of Significant Cereal Crops with Selenium—A Review

Biofortification of UK food crops with selenium.

Se is an essential element for animals. In man low dietary Se intakes are associated with health disorders including oxidative stress-related conditions, reduced fertility and immune functions and an increased risk of cancers. Although the reference nutrient intakes for adult females and males in the UK are 60 and 75 microg Se/d respectively, dietary Se intakes in the UK have declined from >60 ...

Nutrient biofortification of food crops.

Plant-based foods offer an array of nutrients that are essential for human nutrition and promote good health. However, the major staple crops of the world are often deficient in some of these nutrients. Traditional agricultural approaches can marginally enhance the nutritional value of some foods, but the advances in molecular biology are rapidly being exploited to engineer crops with enhanced ...

Biofortification of Staple Food Crops: Six Questions

More than half the world’s population suffers from micronutrient malnutrition. Biofortification of staple food crops is a new public health approach to control vitamin A, iron, and zinc deficiencies in poor countries. Biofortification is the development of micronutrient‐dense staple crops using traditional breeding practices and modern biotechnology. It has multiple advantages: it capitalizes o...

Chapter 9. Biofortification of Staple Crops

Micronutrient malnutrition, also called “hidden hunger”, caused by the deficiency of micronutrients in the diet, afflicts more than two billion people worldwide, especially women and preschool age children (Welch and Graham 2002; White and Broadley, 2009) in the developing countries who are largely dependent on staple food crops. The consequences, in terms of malnutrition and health, are devast...

Selenium – An Important Antioxidant in Crops Biofortification