Presentation Topic BIOFORTIFICATION

Muhammad Qasim Ali

Ph.D Food science and Technalogy2nd Semester

INSTITUTE OF FOOD SCIENCE AND NUTRITIONUNIVERSITY OF SARGODHA, SARGODHA

OUTLINE

Why we need bio fortification

What is bio fortification

Strategies for bio fortification of food crops

Targets in Bio fortification

Different examples

The potential benefits of bio fortification

Why we need bio fortification

The world population was continuously increasing, suffer from a lack of

food, so that fighting hunger continues to be a challenge for humanity.

On the other hand, the World Health Organization estimates that, worldwide,

1.5 billion people are overweight (WHO 2011g).

Increasingly, these two forms of malnutrition, underweight and overweight,

are occurring simultaneously within the Different countries.(Gillespie and

Haddad 2003; FAO 2006).

Bio fortification

Bio fortification is an intervention strategy currently being

researched and developed for increasing the bio‐absorbable content

of micronutrients in the edible portion of staple food crops.

The micronutrients currently being targeted by the bio fortification

program are iron, zinc, and pro vitamin A.

The Goal of Bio fortification

The goal of bio fortification is to contribute to reducing the high

prevalence of specific nutritional deficiencies, especially of iron, zinc

and vitamin A, which commonly occur in low income populations.

This is to be achieved by improving the micronutrient density of staple

food crops that are produced and consumed by these populations and

hence, if bioavailability is demonstrated, increasing the adequacy of

micronutrient intakes.

Bio fortification is intended to contribute to the prevention of

micronutrient deficiencies by reaching all household members

Bio fortification through conventional breeding

Bio fortified crop varieties are developed by plant breeding using selective

breeding and/or genetic modification.

Selective breeding these programs search for variation in the characteristic of

interest, for example higher iron content, within existing varieties of the crop. This

characteristic is then bred into cultivated varieties by crossing (deliberately inter-

breeding) and selecting those individual plants with the desired characteristics.

Selective breeding

In selective breeding, scientists use

Seed banks - collections of seeds usually collected in the past,

which may have greater genetic variation than current varieties;

Mutagenesis - a chemical or physical induction of genetic

mutations used to generate new variation;

Wide crosses – inter-breeding between a cultivated species and

another, normally closely-related, species

Bio fortification through fertilizer application

The application of fertilizers containing essential mineral micronutrients is

complicated by several factors, such as the application method, soil

composition, mineral mobility in the plant, and its accumulation site.

Iodine and selenium are mobile in soil and in plants, thus bio fortification

with iodine and selenium fertilizers has been particularly successful.

Because Zn is also mobile in the soil, applications of ZnSO4 can also

increase yield and Zn concentrations in cereals and legumes.

Harvest Plus Harvest Plus was launched in 2004 with funding from the Bill and Melinda

Gates Foundation the UK Department for International Development

(DFID) and others.

Harvest Plus is focusing on increasing levels of iron, zinc and beta-carotene

in seven staple crops, grown in areas of high subsistence farming, namely

sweet potato, bean, pearl millet, cassava, maize, rice and wheat.

Different examples

Golden Rice Project

Golden Rice is a GM-derived variety of beta-carotene-rich rice. Golden Rice 1 was

developed with only moderate amounts of beta-carotene in the grain. More recently Golden

Rice 2 was developed containing higher levels and this variety is being prepared for release,

pending regulatory approval. Selenium Bio fortification of Wheat

In 1980s Selenium levels in UK soils are generally low so UK-grown wheat is low in

selenium. A project explored selective breeding and timely application of selenium

containing fertilizer to increase selenium levels in wheat. The project found adding small

amounts of selenium to fertilizer increases selenium levels in the grain.

Conti…………… Protein

Quality Protein Maize (QPM) was developed at the International Maize and Wheat

Improvement Centre using selective breeding. Maize is a staple food, and studies have shown a

beneficial impact on growth (height and weight) in children. Fatty acids

Plant oils, such as rapeseed oil, contain long-chain fatty acids that can be converted into

two, health-promoting, long-chain poly-unsaturated fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and

docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) although conversion rates are low. The FAO recommends, EPA and

DHA for pregnant and lactating women, that improve cardio-vascular health in adults and play an

important role in brain and eye development in the fetus.

The potential benefits of bio fortification

Reaching rural communities without access to pharmaceutical supplements

or fortified food and improving life-time nutritional status;

less susceptible to social and economic changes than short term

interventions;

The potential to impact a large number of people at a low cost per person

Thank You…