Meeting the challenge of developing food crops with improved nutritional quality and food safety: leveraging proteomics and related omics techniques

Abstract

Eliminating malnutrition remains an imminent priority in our efforts to achieve food security and providing adequate calories, proteins, and micronutrients to the growing world population. Malnutrition may be attributed to socio-economic factors (poverty and limited accessibility to nutritional food), dietary preferences, inherent nutrient profiles of traditional food crops, and to a combination of all such factors. Modern advancements in “omics” technology have made it possible to reliably predict, diagnose, and suggest ways to remedy the low protein content and bioavailability of key micronutrients in food crops. In this review, we briefly describe how proteomics techniques can potentially be used for improving the nutrient profile of major crops, through high throughput multiplexed assays. Food safety is another important issue where proteomics and related platforms can offer solution for absolute quantitation of food allergens and mycotoxins present in the plant-based food. The purpose of the present review is to discuss the proteomic-based strategies in food crops to meet the challenges of overcoming malnutrition throughout the world.