Abstract
Despite Calcium (Ca) being an essential nutrient for humans, deficiency of Ca is becoming an ensuing public health problem worldwide. Breeding staple crops with higher Ca concentrations is a sustainable long-term strategy for alleviating Ca deficiency, and particular criteria for a successful breeding initiative need to be in place. This paper discusses current challenges and projected benefits of Ca-biofortified crops. The most important features of Ca nutrition in plants are presented along with explicit recommendations for additional exploration of this important issue. In order for Ca-biofortified crops to be successfully developed, tested, and effectively implemented in most vulnerable populations, further research is required.
Highlights
Reviewed by: Martin Broadley, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom Debjyoti Sen Gupta, Indian Institute of Pulses Research (ICAR), India
Breeding staple crops with higher Ca concentrations is a sustainable long-term strategy for alleviating Ca deficiency, and particular criteria for a successful breeding initiative need to be in place
Calcium (Ca) is the fifth most abundant inorganic element and accounts for about 2% of the total human body weight, and it is a vital nutrient for human health (Nordin, 1997)
Summary
The recommended dietary intake of Ca is in the range of 800– 1,300 mg/day for adults and 1,300 mg/day for children above 9 years of age [The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) United Nations, 2002]. Due to undesirable effects of lactose intolerance, a lot of people have limited consumption of the greatest dietary sources of Ca, milk, and dairy products. Diversification of diets, food fortification, supplementation, and crop biofortification are strategies that could help alleviate Ca malnutrition (Puranik et al, 2017) While effective, both food fortification and supplementation have some drawbacks, the major being the inability to be accepted and applied by people in developing countries, and require ongoing infrastructure and investment. In order for people to absorb the recommended daily amounts of Ca, they need to consume Ca-rich foods with absorbable types of Ca. Despite being the richest sources of dietary Ca, the availability and the consumption of milk and dairy products are inadequate for different reasons, i.e., lactose intolerance or limited access to dairy foods. Staple crop self-sufficiency becomes a central element of national agricultural policies (FAO et al, 2020); the production and application of Ca-biofortified staple crops could be a potential long-standing solution for alleviation of the Ca malnutrition problem worldwide
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