Projecting the Contribution of Provitamin A Maize Biofortification and Other Nutrition Interventions to the Nutritional Adequacy and Cost of Diets in Rural Zimbabwe.

BACKGROUND: Evidence of the effectiveness of biofortified maize with higher provitamin A (PVA) to address vitamin A deficiency in rural Africa remains scant. OBJECTIVES: This study projects the impact of adopting PVA maize for a diversity of households in an area typical of rural Zimbabwe and models the cost and composition of diets adequate in vitamin A. METHODS: Household-level weighed food records were generated from 30 rural households during a week in April and November 2021. Weekly household intakes were calculated, as well as indicative costs of diets using data from market surveys. The impact of PVA maize adoption was modeled assuming all maize products contained observed vitamin A concentrations. The composition and cost of the least expensive indicative diets adequate in vitamin A were calculated using linear programming. RESULTS: Very few households would reach adequate intake of vitamin A with the consumption of PVA maize. However, from a current situation of 33%, 50%-70% of households were projected to reach ≥50% of their requirements (the target of PVA), even with the modest vitamin A concentrations achieved on-farm (mean of 28.3 µg RAE per 100 g). This proportion would increase if higher concentrations recorded on-station were achieved. The estimated daily costs of current diets (mean ± standard deviation) were USD 1.43 ± 0.59 in the wet season and USD 0.96 ± 0.40 in the dry season. By comparison, optimization models suggest that diets adequate in vitamin A could be achieved at daily costs of USD 0.97 and USD 0.79 in the wet and dry seasons, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The adoption of PVA maize would bring a substantial improvement in vitamin A intake in rural Zimbabwe but should be combined with other interventions (e.g., diet diversification) to fully address vitamin A deficiency.

Comprehensive evaluation of factors influencing selenium fertilization biofortification.

BACKGROUND: Dietary selenium (Se) deficiency, stemming from low Se concentrations in agricultural products, threatens human health. While Se-containing fertilizers can enhance the Se content in crops, the key factors governing Se biofortification with Se fertilization remain unclear. RESULTS: This study constructed a global meta-analysis dataset based on field experiments comprising 364 entries on Se content in agricultural products and 271 entries on their yield. Random forest models and mixed effects meta-analyses revealed that plant types (i.e., cereals, vegetables, legumes, and forages) primarily influenced Se biofortification, with Se fertilization rates being the next significant factor. The random forest model, which included variables like plant types, Se fertilization rates, methods and types of Se application, initial soil conditions (including Se content, organic carbon content, and pH), soil types, mean annual precipitation, and temperature, explained 82.14% of the variation in Se content and 48.42% of the yield variation in agricultural products. For the same agricultural products, the increase in Se content decreased with higher rates of Se fertilization. The increase in Se content in their edible parts will be negligible for cereals, forages, legumes, and vegetable crops, when Se fertilization rates were 164, 103, 144, and 147 g Se ha-1, respectively. Conversely, while low Se fertilization rates enhanced yields, high rates led to a yield reduction, particularly in cereals. CONCLUSION: Our findings highlight the need for balanced and precise Se fertilization strategies to optimize Se biofortification benefits and minimize the risk of yield reduction. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Multi-year field evaluation of nicotianamine biofortified bread wheat.

Conventional breeding efforts for iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) biofortification of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) have been hindered by a lack of genetic variation for these traits and a negative correlation between grain Fe and Zn concentrations and yield. We have employed genetic engineering to constitutively express (CE) the rice (Oryza sativa) nicotianamine synthase 2 (OsNAS2) gene and upregulate biosynthesis of two metal chelators - nicotianamine (NA) and 2'-deoxymugineic acid (DMA) - in bread wheat, resulting in increased Fe and Zn concentrations in wholemeal and white flour. Here we describe multi-location confined field trial (CFT) evaluation of a low-copy transgenic CE-OsNAS2 wheat event (CE-1) over 3 years and demonstrate higher concentrations of NA, DMA, Fe, and Zn in CE-1 wholemeal flour, white flour, and white bread and higher Fe bioavailability in CE-1 white flour relative to a null segregant (NS) control. Multi-environment models of agronomic and grain nutrition traits revealed a negative correlation between grain yield and grain Fe, Zn, and total protein concentrations, yet no correlation between grain yield and grain NA and DMA concentrations. White flour Fe bioavailability was positively correlated with white flour NA concentration, suggesting that NA-chelated Fe should be targeted in wheat Fe biofortification efforts.

Bacteria from the gut influence the host micronutrient status.

Micronutrient deficiencies or "hidden hunger" remains a serious public health problem in most low- and middle-income countries, with severe consequences for child development. Traditional methods of treatment and prevention, such as supplementation and fortification, have not always proven to be effective and may have undesirable side-effects (i.e., digestive troubles with iron supplementation). Commensal bacteria in the gut may increase bioavailability of specific micronutrients (i.e., minerals), notably by removing anti-nutritional compounds, such as phytates and polyphenols, or by the synthesis of vitamins. Together with the gastrointestinal mucosa, gut microbiota is also the first line of protection against pathogens. It contributes to the reinforcement of the integrity of the intestinal epithelium and to a better absorption of micronutrients. However, its role in micronutrient malnutrition is still poorly understood. Moreover, the bacterial metabolism is also dependent of micronutrients acquired from the gut environment and resident bacteria may compete or collaborate to maintain micronutrient homeostasis. Gut microbiota composition can therefore be modulated by micronutrient availability. This review brings together current knowledge on this two-way relationship between micronutrients and gut microbiota bacteria, with a focus on iron, zinc, vitamin A and folate (vitamin B9), as these deficiencies are public health concerns in a global context.

Sodium Literacy.

This communication describes the concept of sodium literacy as means of optimizing sodium intake and achieving better cardiovascular health. It also highlights the sources of sodium in South Asian cuisine which can be avoided or minimized.

Hidden Obesity.

This communication proposes the term "hidden obesity" to describe normal weight obesity, or increased adiposity without a corresponding increase in body mass index. It uses the concept of hidden hunger to craft semantics which will generate greater attention to this condition from all stake-holders, including policymakers and planners. The article describes simple tools which can be used to suspect and confirm the diagnosis of hidden obesity. This phenotype is very commonly seen in the south Asian population.

Colored wheat and derived products: key to global nutritional security.

Ensuring food and nutritional security of fast-growing population will pose a huge challenge in future. An estimated one-half population who does not go hungry, nonetheless suffers the debilitating effects of unhealthy diets. In view of the nutritional awareness, when the major wheat breeding programs have started shifting to quality, instead of quantity in wheat, the colored wheats give a novel twist of targeting the malnutrition by enhancing the antioxidants such as anthocyanin, carotenoids, flavonoids, polyphenols etc. Moreover, changing consumer demands have picked the trend to prefer a nutritionally balanced diet over the conventional high energy diets and thus, colored wheat has opened up a hidden avenue for providing additional value to the wheat-based products. Besides providing nutrition, these pigments have the potential to replace the synthetic dyes and food colorants prevalent in the market. The review summarizes the genetics and biochemistry of the pigments of colored wheat along with their product development, nutritional status and consumer preference. The review also sheds light on the environmental effect on color accumulation and the effect of increased colorants on other quality traits of wheat.

Biofortification of iron and zinc in rice and wheat.

Iron and zinc are critical micronutrients for human health. Approximately two billion people suffer from iron and zinc deficiencies worldwide, most of whom rely on rice (Oryza sativa) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) as staple foods. Therefore, biofortifying rice and wheat with iron and zinc is an important and economical approach to ameliorate these nutritional deficiencies. In this review, we provide a brief introduction to iron and zinc uptake, translocation, storage, and signaling pathways in rice and wheat. We then discuss current progress in efforts to biofortify rice and wheat with iron and zinc. Finally, we provide future perspectives for the biofortification of rice and wheat with iron and zinc.

Individual, household and national factors associated with iron, vitamin A and zinc deficiencies among children aged 6-59 months in Nepal.

Iron, vitamin A and zinc deficiencies are the top three micronutrients contributing to disability-adjusted life years globally. The study assessed the factors associated with iron, vitamin A, and Zinc deficiencies among Nepalese children (n = 1709) aged 6-59 months using data from the 2016 Nepal National Micronutrient Status Survey. The following cut-off points were applied: iron deficiency [ferritin < 12 µg/L or soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) > 8.3 mg/L], vitamin A deficiency (retinol-binding protein < 0.69 µmol/L) and zinc deficiency (serum zinc < 65 µg/dl for morning sample and <57 µg/dl for afternoon sample). We used multiple logistic regression adjusted for sampling weights and clustering to examine the predictors of micronutrient deficiencies. The prevalence of iron depletion (ferritin), tissue iron (sTfR), vitamin A and zinc deficiencies were 36.7%, 27.6%, 8.5% and 20.4%, respectively. Children were more likely to be iron deficient (ferritin) if aged 6-23 months, stunted, and in a middle-wealth quintile household. Vitamin A deficiency was associated with development region and was higher among children living in severe food-insecure households and those who did not consume fruits. Zinc deficiency was higher among children in rural areas and the poorest wealth quintile. The Government of Nepal should focus on addressing micronutrient deficiencies in the early years, with emphasis on improving food systems, promote healthy diets, among younger and stunted children and provide social cash transfer targeting high-risk development regions, poorest and food insecure households.

Metabolic engineering of rice endosperm towards higher vitamin B1 accumulation.

Rice is a major food crop to approximately half of the human population. Unfortunately, the starchy endosperm, which is the remaining portion of the seed after polishing, contains limited amounts of micronutrients. Here, it is shown that this is particularly the case for thiamin (vitamin B1). Therefore, a tissue-specific metabolic engineering approach was conducted, aimed at enhancing the level of thiamin specifically in the endosperm. To achieve this, three major thiamin biosynthesis genes, THIC, THI1 and TH1, controlled by strong endosperm-specific promoters, were employed to obtain engineered rice lines. The metabolic engineering approaches included ectopic expression of THIC alone, in combination with THI1 (bigenic) or combined with both THI1 and TH1 (trigenic). Determination of thiamin and thiamin biosynthesis intermediates reveals the impact of the engineering approaches on endosperm thiamin biosynthesis. The results show an increase of thiamin in polished rice up to threefold compared to WT, and stable upon cooking. These findings confirm the potential of metabolic engineering to enhance de novo thiamin biosynthesis in rice endosperm tissue and aid in steering future biofortification endeavours.

Evidence-based strategy for prevention of hidden hunger among adolescents in a suburb of Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiencies) among adolescents are linked to impaired physical growth, poor cognitive function, low resistance to infection as well as degenerative and chronic diseases at later age. To prevent these deleterious impacts of hidden hunger, effective intervention strategy that improves nutrition knowledge and promotes healthy food choices among this age-group becomes imperative. The intervention was to evaluate the impact of a 14-page locally developed nutrition education aids on the teenagers' knowledge of the functions, food sources and deficiencies of some micronutrients and their food choices. METHODS: A one group pre-and post-intervention quasi-experimental study design was conducted with 869 adolescents (13-17 years) selected using multi-stage sampling technique in public secondary schools in a suburb of Nigeria. Using the instructional material development guidelines, the nutrition education aids were developed with nutrition facts, pictures of staple micronutrients-rich foods, and computer graphics. Baseline (pre-intervention) knowledge of nutrition and practice of food choices in relation to micronutrients were determined before exposing the students to the developed nutrition education aids and reassessing (post-intervention) them after 6 months. Data obtained were subjected to paired samples t-test using SPSS version 21. RESULTS: The adolescents were mostly females (58.92%) aged 16-17 years (53.62%). There was significantly (p < 0.05) higher mean knowledge scores of general nutrition (65.77 vs. 39.61%) and food sources of nutrients (82.26 vs. 66.87%) at post-intervention compared to pre-intervention. Also, the mean knowledge of functions and deficiencies of vitamin C, folic acid, iron, calcium, and zinc were significantly (p < 0.05) higher at post-intervention than at pre-intervention. The study further revealed percentage increase in the proportion of respondents who consumed meat (27.72%), mango (128.20%), watermelon (152.29%), carrot (336.34%) and leafy vegetables (85.56%) daily after the intervention. In addition, the percentage of students who rarely consumed all the studied micronutrient-rich foods decreased after the intervention. CONCLUSION: The intervention strategy increased the nutrition knowledge and the consumption of some micronutrients-rich food sources among the adolescents. The developed nutrition education aids are recommended for use in the fight to reduce/eradicate hidden hunger among adolescents in Nigeria.

What is food-to-food fortification? A working definition and framework for evaluation of efficiency and implementation of best practices.

Food-to-food fortification (FtFF) is an emerging food-based strategy that can complement current strategies in the ongoing fight against micronutrient deficiencies, but it has not been defined or characterized. This review has proposed a working definition of FtFF. Comparison with other main food-based strategies clearly differentiates FtFF as an emerging strategy with the potential to address multiple micronutrient deficiencies simultaneously, with little dietary change required by consumers. A review of literature revealed that despite the limited number of studies (in vitro and in vivo), the diversity of food-based fortificants investigated and some contradictory data, there are promising fortificants, which have the potential to improve the amount of bioavailable iron, zinc, and provitamin A from starchy staple foods. These fortificants are typically fruits and vegetables, with high mineral as well as ascorbic acid and ß-carotene contents. However, as the observed improvements in micronutrient bioavailability and status are relatively small, measuring the positive outcomes is more likely to be impactful only if the FtFF products are consumed as regular staples. Considering best practices in implementation of FtFF, raw material authentication and ingredient documentation are critical, especially as the contents of target micronutrients and bioavailability modulators as well as the microbiological quality of the plant-based fortificants can vary substantially. Also, as there are only few developed supply chains for plant-based fortificants, procurement of consistent materials may be problematic. This, however, provides the opportunity for value chain development, which can contribute towards the economic growth of communities, or hybrid approaches that leverage traditional premixes to standardize product micronutrient content.

Hidden hunger in South Asia: a review of recent trends and persistent challenges.

'Hidden hunger' is a term used to describe human deficiencies of key vitamins and minerals, also known as micronutrients. While global in scale, the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies is particularly high in South Asia despite recent successes in economic growth, agricultural output and health care. The present paper reviews the most recent evidence on patterns and trends of hidden hunger across the region, with a focus on the most significant deficiencies - iodine, Fe, vitamin A and Zn - and interprets these in terms of health and economic consequences. The challenge for South Asian policy makers is to invest in actions that can cost-effectively resolve chronic nutrient gaps facing millions of households. Appropriate solutions are available today, so governments should build on evidence-based successes that combine targeted health system delivery of quality services with carefully designed multisector actions that help promote healthier diets, reduce poverty and ensure social protection simultaneously.

Nutritional security through crop biofortification in India: Status & future prospects.

Malnutrition has emerged as one of the most serious health issues worldwide. The consumption of unbalanced diet poor in nutritional quality causes malnutrition which is more prevalent in the underdeveloped and developing countries. Deficiency of proteins, essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals leads to poor health and increased susceptibility to various diseases, which in turn lead to significant loss in Gross Domestic Product and affect the socio-economic structure of the country. Although various avenues such as dietary-diversification, food-fortification and medical-supplementation are available, biofortification of crop varieties is considered as the most sustainable and cost-effective approach where the nutrients reach the target people in natural form. Here, we have discussed the present status on the development of biofortified crop varieties for various nutritional and antinutritional factors. Ongoing programmes of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research on the improvement of nutritional traits in different crops have been presented. Challenges and future prospects of crop biofortification in India have also been discussed. The newly developed biofortified crop varieties besides serving as an important source for livelihood to poor people assume great significance in nutritional security.

Essential metal and metalloid elements in the Philippi Horticultural area, and their uptake into selected vegetable crops.

This study evaluated Co, Cr, Mn, Ni, Se, Sn and V status in the soils of the PHA, as well as the vegetables produced on these soils. We also determined the agronomic sources of these elements to the soils in the PHA. Farmyard manures applied as fertilizer amendments to the soils in the PHA were found to be the major agronomic sources of the metal and metalloid elements. These elements were however, retained in significantly higher concentrations in the soils compared to the concentrations found in the edible portions of the vegetable crops collected. This, in turn, resulted in these vegetables being poor sources of several of the essential mineral nutrients. It is therefore suggested that: (1) a wider variety of crops are assessed for their mineral nutrient status, (2) to find ways to increase the availability of these mineral nutrients and (3), that the possibilities of micronutrient and trace element deficiencies be assessed in the communities surrounding the PHA.

A pilot duplicate diet study on manganese, selenium and chromium intakes in institutionalised children and adolescents from Guatemala.

Hidden hunger occurs in the presence of an otherwise nutritionally or energetically appropriate diet that is deficient in essential vitamins and minerals. Guatemala has the highest rate of child malnutrition in Latin America and the prevalence of hidden hunger is high. The aim of this study was to determine the Mn, Se and Cr dietary intakes in Guatemalan institutionalised children (4-14 years), a population group at high risk of mineral deficiency. For this purpose, the contents of Mn, Se and Cr were analysed in a duplicate diet (for 7 consecutive days) by electrothermal atomisation-atomic absorption spectrophotometry following acid digestion. Mn, Se and Cr intakes from the duplicate diets were in the range of 1·3-2·31 mg/d, 58·7-69·6 µg/d and 6·32-27·57 µg/d, respectively. Mn and Cr values were below current recommended daily intakes. A cereal- and legumes-based diet is habitually consumed by this population. Local vegetables, fruits and nutritional supplements are included daily, but the consumption of fish, meat, eggs and dairy products is very infrequent or negligible. Mean daily energy intake from the 7-d diet was 8418·2 kJ (2012 kcal), with a macronutrient energy distribution of carbohydrates 69·4 %, proteins 12·3 % and fats 18·3 %. Correlations between Mn, Se and Cr intakes and energy and other nutrient intakes were also evaluated. The present findings will help establish new nutritional strategies for this and similar population groups.

Hidden hunger - a narrative review.

OBJECTIVE: Malnutrition is characterized by situations of undernutrition and obesity resulting from the lack of micronutrients with the greatest impact on children. The objective of this review was to highlight inadequate food consumption, food security, and nutritional inadequacy leading to hidden hunger and the prevention and treatment of the main micronutrient deficiencies in Brazil. DATA SOURCE: Literature review carried out through a bibliographic survey in PubMed (National Library of Medicine, United States), Lilacs (Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences), and SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online) databases. The search used the terms Occult hunger, (hidden hunger), and Child, in articles published between 2013 and 2023 in Portuguese, English and Spanish. The search was performed on 06/25/2023. DATA SYNTHESIS: The lack of micronutrients can occur insidiously and without clinical manifestations, being called hidden hunger. The prevention of nutritional deficiencies is part of the recommended actions in childcare, with healthy eating. Studies were cited related to macro and micronutrient intake deficiencies, both national and international, and strategies to improve micronutrient intake, including routine supplementation of iron, and vitamins D and A. The diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of the main deficiencies in Brazil (iron, vitamin A, vitamin D, zinc), currently adopted, concluded the topic. CONCLUSION: Zero hunger and zero obesity must be part of the same policy, together with a nutritional education program.

Impacts, causes and biofortification strategy of rice selenium deficiency based on publication collection.

Selenium (Se) deficiency in rice will result in a Se hidden hunger threat to the general public's human health, particularly in areas where rice consumption is high. Nevertheless, the impact scope and coping strategies have not been given sufficient focus on a worldwide scale. In order to evaluate the impacts, causes and biofortification strategies of Se-deficient rice, this study collected data from the publications on three themes: market survey, field sampling and controlled experiments. According to the market survey, global rice Se concentrations were 0.079 mg/kg on mean and 0.062 mg/kg on median. East Asia has a human Se intake gap due to the region's high rice consumption and the lowest rice Se concentration in markets globally. Total Se concentrations in East Asian paddy soils were found to be adequate based on the field sampling. However, over 70 % of East Asian paddy fields were inadequate to yield rice that met the global mean for rice Se concentration. The Se-deficient rice was probably caused by widespread low Se bioavailability in East Asian paddy fields. There were two important factors influencing rice Se enrichment including root Se uptake and iron oxide in soils. Concentrating on these processes is beneficial to rice Se biofortification. Since Se is adequate in the paddy soils of East Asia. Rather of adding Se exogenously, activating the native Se in paddy soil is probably a more appropriate strategy for rice Se biofortification in East Asia. Meta-analysis revealed water management had the greatest impact on rice Se biofortification. The risks and solutions for rice Se deficiency were discussed in our farmland-to-table survey, which will be a valuable information in addressing the global challenge of Se hidden hunger. This study also provided new perspectives and their justifications, critically analyzing both present and future strategies to address Se hidden hunger.

Nature-based solutions for improving food security: A systematic global review.

Nature-based solutions (NBS) have been promoted as a holistic way to solve a variety of societal issues while benefiting biodiversity at the same time. To date, applications of NBS approaches that help ensure food security have yet been systematically reviewed. In this paper, we critically review the specific NBS for food security, highlighting their limitations, to provide recommendations that promote their applications for improving global food security. We accessed and evaluated publications on four different scholastic databases, and our systematic review of relevant materials indicated that many NBS approaches can be applied to enhance food security dimensions individually or together. However, there is a strong bias towards food availability, and not enough research has been done to link NBS with improvements in food access and utilization. Over 80 % of the reviewed papers were of short-term studies or without specific timeframes, and 25 % offered no information on the economic effectiveness of NBS. Environmental benefits of NBS were explicitly described in about 60 % of these papers, and biodiversity enhancement was measured in only about 10 %. We, therefore, recommend future applications of NBS to safeguard food security be shifted to food access and utilization with careful consultation with local communities to address their specific context, using indicators that are easily measured and managed. Systematic monitoring regimes and robust and diversified financial support systems are also equally important in efforts to successfully implement NBS. Moreover, environmental and societal benefits, especially water productivity and biodiversity, must be incorporated into the planning and design of NBS.

Iron and zinc biofortification of rice by synergistic expression of OsNAS2 gene with monocot (Pennisetum glaucum) and dicot (Phaseolus vulgaris) ferritins.

Iron and zinc deficiencies are the most prevalent cause of global hidden hunger. Rice, being one of the most consumed crops worldwide, is suitable to target for Fe and Zn biofortification. In present study, we generated rice transgenic lines to meet the recommended dietary requirement of iron and zinc through endosperm specific expression of dicot (kidney bean) and monocot (pearl millet) Ferritins along with constitutive expression of rice nicotianamine synthase 2 (OsNAS2) gene. Visualization through perls' prussian staining and quantification by ICP-MS showed significant improvement in grain iron content in all the transgenic lines. The transgenic lines expressing any of the three selected gene combinations (PvFerrtin-OsNAS2, feedPgFerrtin-OsNAS2 and foodPgFerritin-OsNAS2), showed the potential to surpass the 30% of the estimated average requirement (13 µg/g Fe and 28 µg/g Zn) proposed for rice in HarvestPlus breeding program. Though the expression of PvFerritin along with OsNAS2 gene in IET10364 (indica) variety showed the best result, providing up to 4.2- and 3.5-fold increase in iron (30.56 µg/g) and zinc (60.1 µg/g) content, respectively; in polished grains compared to non-transgenic control. Thus, the lines developed in our study can be used for further breeding purpose to enhance the iron and zinc content in commercial rice varieties.