engleski

Biofortification with Zn and Se as a strategy for preventing micronutrient malnutrition

Micronutrients are essential for human health and required in small amounts for physical and mental development, the functioning of the immune system, and various metabolic processes. Micronutrient malnutrition affects nearly a half of the global population and the interest for it has increased greatly over last decade because of the potentially huge public health implications, since it is not uniquely the concern of poor countries and can exist in populations even where the food supply is adequate in terms of meeting energy requirements. Micronutrient deficiencies have often been referred to as the “hidden hunger”. Iron, vitamin A and iodine deficiencies are the three micronutrient deficiencies of greatest siginificance for public health in the developing world, but zinc deficiency has also been declared as a global nutrition problem, since selenium deficiencies occur regionally. The strategies for preventing micronutrient malnutrition are supplementation, fortification, including biofortification, and dietary diversification. Supplementation is a short-term measure of directly delivering nutrients by means like pills. Fortification strategies include delivering one or more micronutrients into commonly consumed foods , like fortification of salt with iodine. Biofortification is seen as the best long-term sustainable solution for preventing micronutrient malnutrition and often includes varieties screening as a first step, followed by breeding new genotypes with higher micronutrient density. It is more effective for preventing Zn than Se malnutrition. Agrofortification is a complex short-term solution, including the application of micronutrient-containing fertilizer, considering soil fertility, towards synergistic approaches using the genotype for the accumulation of additional micronutrients in the edible parts of the plants. This strategy is highly effective for Se and moderately effective for Zn. The goal of fortification, 40-60 mg/kg of Zn in cereal grains with decreased content of antinutrients like phytate, is quite achievable using the adequate genotype and fertilizers.

zinc ; selenium ; fertilization ; plant breeding ; bioavailability

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