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Genetic biofortification: advancing crop nutrition to tackle hidden hunger

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Abstract

Malnutrition, often termed “hidden hunger,” represents a pervasive global issue carrying significant implications for health, development, and socioeconomic conditions. Addressing the challenge of inadequate essential nutrients, despite sufficient caloric intake, is crucial. Biofortification emerges as a promising solution by enhance the presence of vital nutrients like iron, zinc, iodine, and vitamin A in edible parts of different crop plants. Crop biofortification can be attained through either agronomic methods or genetic breeding techniques. Agronomic strategies for biofortification encompass the application of mineral fertilizers through foliar or soil methods, as well as leveraging microbe-mediated mechanisms to enhance nutrient uptake. On the other hand, genetic biofortification involves the strategic crossing of plants to achieve a desired combination of genes, promoting balanced nutrient uptake and bioavailability. Additionally, genetic biofortification encompasses innovative methods such as speed breeding, transgenic approaches, genome editing techniques, and integrated omics approaches. These diverse strategies collectively contribute to enhancing the nutritional profile of crops. This review highlights the above-said genetic biofortification strategies and it also covers the aspect of reduction in antinutritional components in food through genetic biofortification.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, 63100, Pakistan

    Usman Zulfiqar

  2. Department of Botany, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Bahawalpur, Pakistan

    Amman Khokhar, Muhammad Faisal Maqsood, Nargis Naz & Sana Maqsood

  3. Department of Botany, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Muhammad Shahbaz

  4. Department of Nutritional Sciences, Government College Women University, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Maheen Sara

  5. Department of Plant Breeding & Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Sajila Sahar

  6. Department of Agronomy, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan

    Saddam Hussain & Muhammad Ahmad

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Contributions

U.Z., A.K., M.S., and M.F.M conceived the idea and planned and wrote the work. N.N., M.S., and S.M. collected the data and assisted in table and figure presentation while S.H., M.A., and S.S. edited the draft. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Zulfiqar, U., Khokhar, A., Maqsood, M.F. et al. Genetic biofortification: advancing crop nutrition to tackle hidden hunger. Funct Integr Genomics 24, 34 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10142-024-01308-z

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