Biofortification of Iron, Zinc, and Iodine in Crops Using Transgenic Techniques

Abstract

Malnutrition is a very big issue in poor nations, particularly in Asia and Africa, where millions of pre-school-aged children with pregnant women suffer from it. Because they eat a carbohydrate-rich but micronutrient-scant plant-based diet, poor individuals are more vulnerable to malnutrition and hidden hunger. The spread of high-yielding varieties but low-micronutrient cultivars exacerbated the malnutrition. Supplementation & food fortification of staple foods with minerals are two ways that can be used to track the issue of proper nutrition safety. However, fortified and dietary supplements are also not possible or cost-effective for iodine, particularly iron. To treat micronutrient deficiencies, genetic biofortification of crops has recently developed as a self-targeted and non-recurrent strategy. Because there wasn't enough genetic variation in the crossable gene pools, most traditional breeding methods were limited. Furthermore, it lacks the micronutrient and iodine accumulation-related modulation of target gene expression. At this point, genetic engineering-based food biofortification appears to be a potential strategy to solve hidden hunger, particularly in areas where breeding is difficult due to a scarcity of genetic diversity. If there is insufficient genetic variability and fixable major gene effects, genetic engineering will be a viable option for enhancing micronutrients at targeted levels. Transgenic technologies are one method that can be used to improve genotypes by changing specific metabolic pathways with different genes.