Abstract
Provitamin A-biofortified maize is currently being evaluated for use in the alleviation of vitamin A deficiency. Apart from the differences in provitamin A content, the nutritional composition of provitamin A-biofortified maize compared to white maize is hardly known. This study aimed to evaluate the protein and selected micronutrient composition of biofortified maize varieties and the quality of their grains. A total of 32 provitamin A-biofortified maize varieties was analysed for their starch, fat, protein and mineral content. The milling and storage quality of the biofortified maize grains were also assessed. When compared with the white maize variety, the biofortified varieties were higher in starch, fat and protein, but were lower in iron. The biofortified maize varieties were better sources of most of the essential amino acids relative to the white variety, but, similar to the white maize, they were deficient in histidine and lysine. Overall, the quality of the grains of the biofortified maize varieties was superior to that of the white maize grain, although, the biofortified grains were more susceptible to fungal invasion. This study indicates that, in terms of the nutrients assessed, provitamin A-biofortified maize is generally superior to white maize, except for minerals. Key words: Biofortification, provitamin A, protein, micronutrient composition, maize.
Highlights
Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) is a major health problem in the developing regions, in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (WHO, 2009)
This study indicates that, in terms of the nutrients assessed, provitamin A-biofortified maize is generally superior to white maize, except for minerals
The mean starch (66.7/100 g) and fat (4.7/100 g) values of the provitamin A-biofortified maize varieties of this study were similar to those of white maize found in the literature, 71.3/100 and 4.1/100 g, respectively (Johnson, 2000)
Summary
Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD) is a major health problem in the developing regions, in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) (WHO, 2009). Apart from VAD, the sub-Saharan Africa region is plagued by protein energy malnutrition (PEM) and deficiencies in other micronutrients, especially iron and iodine (Bouis, 1996; WHO, 2002b; De Onis and Blössner, 2003). White maize is devoid of vitamin A, contains poor quality protein and its mineral composition is not nutritionally adequate (FAO, 1992; Johnson, 2000). In addition to lacking vitamin A, maize, wheat and rice, the most widely consumed staple crops, are poor sources of iron and iodine (Bouis, 1996).
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