Biofortification of Crops for Reducing Malnutrition

Gurdev S. KhushUniversity of California, Davis, CA

Human Dietary Requirements

MacronutrientsCarbohydrates, LipidsProteins, Amino Acids

MicronutrientsSeventeen MineralsThirteen VitaminsMany phytochemicals

Consequences ofMicronutrient Malnutrition

• higher morbidity• higher mortality

– 23% reduction with vitamin A supplementationpp

• lower cognitive ability• lower work productivity• impaired growth• impaired reproduction• 5% annual loss in GDP in South Asia

Malnutrition Problem

• 800 million people go to bed hungry• 250 million children are malnourished• 400 million people have vitamin A deficiency• 100 million young children suffer from vitamin A

deficiency• 3 million children die as a result of vitamin A

deficiency• 14 million children suffer from clinical eye

problems• 2 billion people are iron deficient• 1 billion people reside in iodine-deficient regions

Deficiencies of Iron Zinc and Vitamin A are most Debilitating

They Affect:• Development and Function of Brain• Reduce Immune Competencep• Impair Body Temperature Regulation• Psychomotor Development• Poor Work Performance

Some Statistics about Iron Deficiency

• Anemia affects 2 billion people worldwide

• Iron deficiency affects 3.7 billion people

• 40% of the people have clinical iron deficiency

• 58% of pregnant women in developing countries are anemic

• 31% of children under five are anemic

Abnormalities Caused by Zinc Deficiency

• Retarded Growth• Depressed Immune Function• Anorexia• Skeletal Abnormalities• Diarrhea• Alopecia• Dermatitis

A World Bank publication estimates that deficiencies of iron, zinc and vitamin A, at the level of malnutrition that presently exist in S h A i i l South Asia, cause economic losses equal to 5% of GNP each year due to sickness, poor work performance, lost education and other factors

Improving the nutritional status of children and adults is a highly effective way to is a highly effective way to increase economic productivity in agriculture and other sectors

Possible Solutions to Micronutrient Deficiencies

• Dietary diversification

• Food fortification

• Supplementation

• Biofortification

Strategy

Develop micronutrient dense staple crops using the best traditional practices and modern pbiotechnology to achieve provitamin A, iron and zinc concentrations that can have measurable effect on nutritional status

Breeding Micronutrient Dense Staple Food Crops

• Plant Breeding technology has great impact

• Impact greatest on lowest socioeconomic stratastrata

• Enhancement of staples will deliver most micronutrient

• Agronomic bonus in micronutrient-dense seeds can preserve and enhance nutrient balance

Fig.1 Effect of polishing on grain iron content

10

12

14

16

18

20nt

ent (

ppm

)

Areumbyeo IR 68144-2B-2-2-3-1-120 PSB Rc 28

About 70% loss

0

2

4

6

8

Brownrice

10 20 30 40 50 60

Polishing tim e (sec)

Iron

con

Fig 2. Effect of polishing on grain zinc content

20222426283032

cont

ent (

ppm

)

Areumbyeo IR 68144-2B-2-2-3-1-120 PSB Rc28

About 25% loss

14161820

Brownrice

10 20 30 40 50 60

Polishing time (sec)

Zinc

c

Iron content in polished rice grains (2 locations, 3 seasons)

6.637.40

4.01

2.973 004.005.006.007.008.00

ppm

0.001.002.003.00

IR69428-6-1-1-3-3

IR75862-221-2-1-2-B-B-BIR68144-2B-2-2-3-1-120IR64

Iron (ppm)

7.00

8.00

9.00

10.00

11.00

MN14 MN16 MN22 MN23 MN24 MN26 IR64

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

PR2004

WS

IR20

04W

S

IR20

05DS

IR200

5WS

PR2005D

S

PR2005W

S

Zinc content in polished rice grains (2 locations, 3 seasons)

20.00

25.00

0.00

5.00

10.00

15.00

IR69428 IR75862-221 IR68144-120 IR64

ppm

IRRI’s High Iron RiceIR68144-2B-2-2-3-2

‘Maligaya Special Rice #13’Yield potential of 5t/haMicronutrient level enhanced

Released in the Philippines

Leo Sebastian, PhilRice, October 2003

Genetic Engineering Approaches to Improve the Bioavailability and

Level of Iron in Rice• Introduction of ferritin (pfe) gene from

b d Ph l bsoybean and Phaseolus bean

• Introduction of phytase (PhyA) gene

• Selection of low phytate (Ipa) mutants

Vitamin A Deficiency• 400 million people in the world are

at risk of Vitamin A deficiency

•100-200 million children are affected 100 200 million children are affected by severe Vitamin A deficiency

•1.3 – 2.5 million preschool children die annually because of Vitamin A deficiency

Genetic Engineering for Vitamin A Synthesis in Rice Endosperm

Introduction of three genes under control of endosperm specific promoters

Psy and lyc from daffodil

Cryt1 from Erwina uredovora

Golden Rice

White and Golden Rice

The principle of provitamin A The principle of provitamin A The principle of provitamin A production is applicable to otherproduction is applicable to otherproduction is applicable to othercrops, like potato …crops, like potato …crops, like potato …

ControlControl TransgenicTransgenicDiretto et al 2007

Molecular-Aided-Backcrossing program

to transfer carotenoidsto transfer carotenoids loci into IR64 and IR36

BC1F1 progeny Number of seeds produced

IR64 X (146 X IR64)and reciprocals

1000

IR36 X (146 X IR36)and reciprocals

1303

IR64 X (309 X IR64) 761

SGR1 events

IR64 X (309 X IR64)and reciprocals

761

IR36 X (309 X IR36)and reciprocals

1192

IR64 X (652 X IR64)and reciprocals

921

IR36 X (652 X IR36)and reciprocals

903

BC2F1 for one cross in progress

Event Chromosome Location (Mbp)

SGR2E1 Chr3 24.66

SGR2G1 Chr5 27.70

SGR2L1 Chr2 35.28

Location of SGR2 loci

SGR2R1 Chr1 36.98

SGR2T1 Chr3 17.59

SGR2W1 Chr10 16.86

F1s with IR64, IR36, BR29, PSBRc 82 produced

Production of BC1F1 in progress

Harvest Plus Program of CGIAR

on Biofortificationon Biofortification

Phase II Crops

• Potato

• Barley

• Cowpeas

• Groundnuts

• Rice

• Wheat

• Maize

C

Phase I Crops

• Lentils

• Millet

• Plantain

• Sorghum

• Pigeon Peas

• Yams

• Cassava

• Sweet Potato

• Beans

WHP Kl

WHP H

Target Nutrients By Breeding Technique

TransgenicTransgenicConventionalConventional

BeanBean

BetaBeta--carotenecaroteneIronIron--ZincZincBetaBeta--

carotenecaroteneIronIron--ZincZincCropCrop

1010SweetpotatoSweetpotato

CassavaCassava

MaizeMaize

WheatWheat

RiceRice

Bean

b1

Slide 43

b1 Green: Current technique underway and being supported by the program

Light Green: Exploratory research on the technique. Looks promising.

Yellow: Not a priority area for H+.

Red: Not being considered.

bonnie, 8/30/2006

Research on Trace Minerals in Common Bean at CIAT

Studies at CIAT suggest that iron content of common bean could be increased by 60-80% and zinc content by 50% through breeding. The genetic differences were expressed over environments and seasons

Orange-fleshed Sweet Potatoes for Raising Vitamin A Intake

Most of the varieties currently grown in Sub-Saharan Africa have white or creamy flesh and little or no carotene.

New high yielding-orange fleshed varieties have 7.5 to 8.8 mg/100 gm of carotene

Orange Fleshed Sweetpotato

Carotene in Cassava Roots

Cassava is an important staple food for 50 million poor people.

Genetic variation for carotene content in cassava roots is high.

Orange colored roots have 9-10 times more carotene as compared to white roots

Improving the Amino Acid Profile of Food Crops

Incorporation of opaque2 gene into maize through breeding tointo maize through breeding to develop quality protein maize (QPM) which has double the amount of lysine and tryptophan

Linking agriculture and nutrition to promote dietary change and improve nutritional status can generate wide economic benefits, such as increased agricultural production and greater household security

100

150

200

250Cereals Pulses Population

% Changes in Cereal & Pulse Production & in Population Between 1965 & 1999

0

50

100

Indi

a

Paki

stan

Ban

glad

esh

Dev

elop

ing

Indi

a

Paki

stan

Ban

glad

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Dev

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ing

Wor

ld

Dev

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ing

India Biofortification Project• Indian Parliament recently has passed a

budget which includes $15 million for biofortification (Department of Biotechnology, DBT) for rice, wheat, and maize over five yearsmaize over five years.

• Crop leaders appointed for each crop; target nutrients are iron and zinc

• Joint meetings held in August, 2004, February, 2006, March, 2007

• MOU has been signed

In Conclusion“The remedy is to look at the whole field covered by crop production,animal husbandry, food, nutrition, and health as one related subject and then to realize the great principle that the birthright of every crop, every animal, and every human being is health.”