Supporting Iron and Zinc Potato Biofortification through XRF Fast Screening Technology

EAPR 2014, July 6th to 11th 2014

Thomas zum Felde, Gabriela Burgos, Walter Amoros, Paola Sosa, Merideth Bonierbale, International Potato Center (CIP) and Georgia Guilt, Flinders University, Australia

Nutritional Quality Assurance and Enhancement Network (NQAEN)

CIP‘s Nutritional Quality Assurance and Enhancement Network (NQAEN) in CRP-A4NH

1. To build knowledge and capacity to enable researchers in target countries to make accurate and cost-effective assessments of micronutrient content of potato (and sweetpotato). Responsible determination, reporting and labeling of micronutrient concentrations is basic to assure the effectiveness of Biofortification as an approach to improved nutrition.

2.Research partnerships to contribute in building evidence that micronutrients of RTCs and their products are bioavailable for the human body with a view for improving human health and reducing poverty through increased concentrations of bioavailable micronutrients in RTC based diets.

Major micronutrient deficiencies (hidden hunger):

1.) Iron deficiency • Estimated about 1.6 billion with iron deficiency • Mostly young children and women of childbearing age

2.) Zinc deficiency• Limited data on magnitude of deficiency, estimated to be similar

to iron

3.) Vitamin A deficiency:• Circa 250 million children <5 years• 20 million pregnant women with sub-clinical deficiency

Over three billion people worldwide are currently malnourished, particularly in developing countries where insufficient intake of iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and Vitamin A constitute the most common micronutrient deficiencies.

Zinc deficiency • Growth failure• Susceptibility to infections• Diarrhea; skin lesions• Neurological infections in infancy and childhood

Iron deficiency anemia• Impairs mental development and learning capacity • Limits capacity to perform physical labor• Decrease immunity

Fe and Zn Deficiencies(Implications for Human Health and Development)

Risk factors for micronutrient deficiencies

• Monotonous plant based diet, no vitamin A, poor Fe and Zn bioavailability (phytate, polyphenols)

• Low intake of animal source foods; orange and yellow fruit / veg

• Low micronutrient density of complementary foods

• Increased demands during growth, pregnancy and lactation

• Increased demands due to infections and diseases

• Seasonal variation in food availability, food shortages

Category of public health significance(anaemia prevalence)

Normal (<5.0%)

Mild (5.0-19.9%)

Moderate (20.0-39.9%)

Severe (≥40.0%)

No Data

1.) Iron deficiency as a public health problem in preschool children (0-5 yrs)

(McLean et al. 2007)

2.) National risk of zinc deficiency based on combined information on childhood stunting in inadequate zinc intake

Hotz, Brown, Food and Nutrition Bulletin 2004

GIS-based overlay of• Potato production &• Prevalence of Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) among

women and children

Potato biofortification Targets(Populations at Risk of Malnutrition and with High Potato Consumption)

Iron µgg-1

P µgg-1

Rice polished

MaizeWheat

Bean

Cassava

Potato

Lentil

Pearl Millet

Yams

P versus Iron

O SweetPotato

Zinc µgg-1

P µgg-1

Rice polished

Maize

Wheat

Bean

Cassava

Potato

Lentil

Pearl Millet

Yams

Wheat wild relatives

P versus Zinc

O SweetPotato

Mineral analysis

• established analysis with ICP:

sensitive

accurate

established methods

able to analyze multiple elements

requires trained technical staff

expensive equipment

high purity reagents

pre-analysis extraction

X-ray fluorescence

• x-rays excite atoms

• de-excitation results in x-ray emission

• energy of emitted x-ray is specific to element

• intensity of emitted x-ray is dependent on abundance/ concentration

XRF for Harvest Plus

• screening for Fe and Zn

• analyze whole grain or flour

• does not require highly trained staff

• increases throughput and reduces analysis cost

Grain calibrations

What about potato tubers???

5 10 15 20 25 30 350

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

f(x) = 3.03120122263832 x + 66.4194271394297R² = 0.928480120571726

Iron

Reference ICP (mg/kg)

Inte

nsity

(cps

)

5 10 15 20 25 30 350

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

f(x) = 0.785588041518067 x + 6.34524638681644R² = 0.964996353734556

Zinc

Inte

nsity

(cps

)

Reference ICP (mg/kg)

XRF Potato - Calibration

Calibrations for iron and zinc concentration in potato tuber samples coming from CIP’s biofortified clones cycle II and III and LBHT population.

Range (mg/kg)Calibration

statistic

Trait N⁰ min max r² SEC

Iron 51 10 33 0.93 1.44

Zinc 51 9 29 0.97 0.99

Intensive Training and capacity building needed

2 Training courses in Bangladesh (2013) and in Rwanda (2014) with 20 participants, each.

• Tuber Crops Research Centre, Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur, March 18th to 21st, 2013

• RAB (Rwanda Agricultural Board), Ruhengeri Station, April, 1st to 4th, 2014

1. Increase participants’ awareness of current projects that include nutritional quality evaluation of potato (and sweetpotato) for biofortification.

2.To train participants in sampling and sample preparation of potato (and sweetpotato) for mineral (mainly iron and zinc) analysis avoiding contamination with minerals from other sources like soil, dust and not appropriate equipment.

3.Discuss and show basics of mineral analysis by X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF).

Present and discuss nutritional value of potato (and sweetpotato)

Field and sampling

Sample preparation of potato (and sweetpotato) for mineral analysis avoiding contamination with minerals from other sources like soil and not appropriate equipment

www.cipotato.org/qnlab

2005 - 2014