Nutritional Diversity Research Articles

Testing of new instrument for measuring quality and diversity of nutrition in pregnancy.

Our aim was construction and development of a new questionnaire for assessing the quality and diversity of nutrition of pregnant women. This was a cross-sectional study. The novel questionnaire was developed through eight steps according with internationally accepted guidelines for questionnaire development. The questionnaire with 18 questions and answers according to the Likert's scale was created and called Balkan Food Quality and Diversity in Pregnancy Questionnaire-18 (BFQDPQ-18). Reliability testing and factor analysis of BFQDPQ-18 were carried out on a sample of 382 women in the third trimester of pregnancy whose pregnancy control and monitoring were performed at the Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics of the Clinical Center in Kragujevac, Serbia. The first test of reliability indicated high levels of internal consistency, with the Cronbach's alpha of 0.85 of the BFQDPQ-18. After dividing the BFQDPQ-18 into two parts of nine questions each by split-half method, the Cronbach's alphas were 0.799 and 0.716. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy (KMO) was 0.878, and the Bartlett's test of sphericity: 1,892.206, p < 0.000. Factor analysis revealed four factors explained in total 51.99% of the variance: mean meal and snack, foods with a low degree of industrial processing, subjective assessment of dietary quality and starchy foods. The final version of the BFQDPQ-18 showed high reliability and good psychometric properties, so we believe it could be useful instrument for assessing the quality of nutrition of pregnant women.

Food diversity analysis based on data of food purchasing in supermarket chain

Diversity in nutrition is of fundamental importance for health. According to research in recent decades, the diversity of the population's diet has greatly decreased, which carries health risks. The aim of the study was to analyze food diversity in population based on their purchasing activity in large trading network. Material and methods. From the depersonalized data of 1 800 319 loyalty program unique members of the retail network in Moscow, 201 904 buyers were selected according to the following criteria: the presence of a dense segment of purchases (more than 4 weeks, where there was at least 1 purchase in 2 weeks), in which the total cost of purchases was not less than 4700 rubles and at least 4 different food groups were purchased. Data from the cashier's receipts for 12 months (median 124 days) as well as the food labels for extracting the data about ingredients were used. Food diversity was analyzed by using count-base score method in which absolute number of different foods in every of 6 food groups (grains, fish and meat, fats, dairy products, vegetables, fruits and berries) was calculated. Total score as a sum of all scores from all food groups was also calculated. Results. According to the food diversity analysis, 73.9% of buyers purchased 2 or less types of grains. Only 31.4% of buyers purchased more than 4 types of vegetables, only 36.2% purchased more than 2 types of fruits and berries, 41.9% purchased less than 2 types of meat and fish, 61.3% purchased only 1 type of fat, and at least 2 types of dairy products was purchased by 53,3% of buyers. Acceptable rate of food diversity of 20 different types of food per week was achieved only in 11.4% of buyers. Conclusion. Food diversity in buyers of trading network is low, with the lowest scores in buying different grains, vegetables, fruits and berries, meat and fish as well as fats. Better diversity was demonstrated in buying dairy products, as they traditionally are accounted as healthy by consumers.

Diferenças urbano-rurais relativas ao consumo e ambiente alimentar e aos parâmetros antropométricos de adultos mais velhos: resultados do ELSI-Brasil

This study aimed to identify dietary and anthropometric differences in older Brazilian adults (≥ 50 years old) living in urban-rural areas. This is a cross-sectional study with data from the second wave (9,949 participants) of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil) from 2019-2021. Weekly dietary intake of fruit/vegetables, beans, and fish; self-perception of salt consumption; food environment (availability of fruit/vegetables in the neighborhood and self-production of food); and objective anthropometric parameters (body mass index [BMI] and waist circumference [WC]) were evaluated. Analyses were adjusted for schooling level. Compared to urban areas, rural areas show lower consumption of fruit/vegetables five days or more per week (74.6% vs. 86.4%) and greater adequate salt intake (96.8% vs. 92.1%) - differences we observed for men and women. Rural areas showed lower high WC (61.9% vs. 68%), significant only for men. Considering food environment, rural areas had lower fruit and vegetable availability in the neighborhood (41.2% vs. 88.3%) and higher self-production of food (38.2% vs. 13.2%). We observed a lower consumption of fruit/vegetables five days or more per week in rural areas with fruit/vegetable availability in the neighborhood and no self-production of food. Urban and rural areas show food and nutritional diversity. Incentives for fruit or vegetable consumption among residents in urban areas should consider the greater availability of these foods in their neighborhood, whereas, in rural areas, self-production of food should be encouraged. Adequate salt intake and ideal WC maintenance should be reinforced in urban areas.

Urban-rural differences in food consumption and environment and anthropometric parameters of older adults: results from ELSI-Brazil.

This study aimed to identify dietary and anthropometric differences in older Brazilian adults (≥ 50 years old) living in urban-rural areas. This is a cross-sectional study with data from the second wave (9,949 participants) of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil) from 2019-2021. Weekly dietary intake of fruit/vegetables, beans, and fish; self-perception of salt consumption; food environment (availability of fruit/vegetables in the neighborhood and self-production of food); and objective anthropometric parameters (body mass index [BMI] and waist circumference [WC]) were evaluated. Analyses were adjusted for schooling level. Compared to urban areas, rural areas show lower consumption of fruit/vegetables five days or more per week (74.6% vs. 86.4%) and greater adequate salt intake (96.8% vs. 92.1%) - differences we observed for men and women. Rural areas showed lower high WC (61.9% vs. 68%), significant only for men. Considering food environment, rural areas had lower fruit and vegetable availability in the neighborhood (41.2% vs. 88.3%) and higher self-production of food (38.2% vs. 13.2%). We observed a lower consumption of fruit/vegetables five days or more per week in rural areas with fruit/vegetable availability in the neighborhood and no self-production of food. Urban and rural areas show food and nutritional diversity. Incentives for fruit or vegetable consumption among residents in urban areas should consider the greater availability of these foods in their neighborhood, whereas, in rural areas, self-production of food should be encouraged. Adequate salt intake and ideal WC maintenance should be reinforced in urban areas.

Comparative metabolomics of flavonoids in twenty vegetables reveal their nutritional diversity and potential health benefits

Vegetables are rich in flavonoids and are widely consumed in our daily life. However, comprehensive information on flavonoids components in vegetable varieties and the distribution of flavonoids with health-promoting effects in different vegetables are rarely investigated. Here, we analyzed the constitution of flavonoids among 20 vegetables by widely-targeted metabolome analysis. A total of 403 flavonoids were detected and classified as flavonoid, flavonols, anthocyanins, isoflavones, flavonoid carbonoside, dihydroflavone, chalcones, flavanols, dihydroflavonol, tannin, proanthocyanidins, and other flavonoids. Interestingly, we found that the content and types of flavonoids in bean sprouts and hot pepper were relatively abundant, whereas those were lower in carrot, lettuce, and Zizania latifolia. Then, we characterized the representative flavonoids including flavonoid, flavonols, chalcones, and isoflavones, and related them to the health-promoting effects of vegetables. Finally, we examined the relevance of the flavonoids to antioxidant capacity. Both bean sprouts and hot pepper possessed higher antioxidant enzyme activity, which were responsible for their great antioxidant capacity. Our study established a database of major flavonoids components in vegetables and further provides a new hint for the selection and breeding of vegetables based on their health-promoting effects.

Metabolomics Reveals Nutritional Diversity among Six Coarse Cereals and Antioxidant Activity Analysis of Grain Sorghum and Sweet Sorghum.

Coarse cereals are rich in dietary fiber, B vitamins, minerals, secondary metabolites, and other bioactive components, which exert numerous health benefits. To better understand the diversity of metabolites in different coarse cereals, we performed widely targeted metabolic profiling analyses of six popular coarse cereals, millet, coix, buckwheat, quinoa, oat, and grain sorghum, of which 768 metabolites are identified. Moreover, quinoa and buckwheat showed significantly different metabolomic profiles compared with other coarse cereals. Analysis of the accumulation patterns of common nutritional metabolites among six coarse cereals, we found that the accumulation of carbohydrates follows a conserved pattern in the six coarse cereals, while those of amino acids, vitamins, flavonoids, and lipids were complementary. Furthermore, the species-specific metabolites in each coarse cereal were identified, and the neighbor-joining tree for the six coarse cereals was constructed based on the metabolome data. Since sorghum contains more species-specific metabolites and occupies a unique position on the neighbor-joining tree, the metabolite differences between grain sorghum 654 and sweet sorghum LTR108 were finally compared specifically, revealing that LTR108 contained more flavonoids and had higher antioxidant activity than 654. Our work supports an overview understanding of nutrient value in different coarse cereals, which provides the metabolomic evidence for the healthy diet. Additionally, the superior antioxidant activity of sweet sorghum provides clues for its targeted uses.

Hidden Hunger, its causes and impact on Human life

The term "hidden hunger" refers to an important vitamin and mineral shortage in humans that generally goes unnoticed by the telltale signs and symptoms of micronutrient deficiency illnesses. Hidden hunger is caused by micronutrient deficiency including vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, iodine, and zinc. Deficits in vitamins and minerals affect 2 billion individuals worldwide (1). Low-income households frequently lack foods that contain sufficient amounts of vitamin A, iodine, iron, and occasionally other crucial nutrients. This restricts their ability to grow, develop, maintain good health, and work. Making sure people receive the necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients can help avoid undernutrition.&#x0D; &#x0D; Essential vitamins and minerals have a long history of discovery, and significant progress has been achieved in the prevention and treatment of linked classic deficiency illnesses (e.g., rickets, scurvy, and anemia). The possibility that an insufficient intake of micronutrients might have negative health effects even in the absence of overt illness symptoms has just lately come to light. From conception through the end of the second year of life, there is a 1,000-day window that is extremely important for growth and development and necessitates an appropriate intake of micronutrients. The concealed hunger brought on by a vitamin shortage does not result in actual hunger. Although you might not feel it in your stomach, it directly affects your health and vigor.&#x0D; The Lancet study (2), observed three key micronutrients i.e., vitamin A, zinc, and iron in 22 countries between the time period of 2003-2019. At least one of these nutrients was deficient globally in 372 million children aged 3 and 1.2 billion women of reproductive age. Three-quarters of these under-nutritioned children were present geographically in Africa, South Asia, and the Pacific and 57% of these women were from east and south Asia and The Pacific. Surprisingly, high income countries also had high prevalence of Hidden Hunger. This may be due to processed foods poor in micronutrients. The 2018 National Nutritional Survey (NNS) report (3) shows that Pakistan faces a triple burden of malnutrition with micronutrient deficiencies, under-nutrition, and obesity coexisting in its’s population. Pakistan has had long-running programs to fortify cooking oil, ghee, and wheat with vitamins. Despite these programs, levels of vitamin A and vitamin D deficits and severe iodine deficiency have risen since the last survey.&#x0D; The fundamental factors causing food insecurity and a poor diet, poverty and a lack of understanding of the value of nutritional diversification. Micronutrients need also increase in certain stages of life such as lactation, pregnancy and in various health conditions such as parasites, infections or diseases. Low absorption of micronutrients although they are consumed in right quantity also remains a major cause.&#x0D; Hidden hunger during pregnancy causes intrauterine growth restriction, which has an impact on the child's development. Deficiency of Iron causes low energy, low birthweight, anemia, impaired brain development and increased maternal mortality. Vitamin A deficiency causes blindness or visual impairment, infections such as diarrhea and increased danger of ailment and death. Zinc deficiency causes repeating infections and impaired immune system. Iodine deficiency causes goiter, retarded mental capacity and damages in brain of newborn. Hidden hunger is a prevalent problem, affecting people everywhere in the world and more severely in low-income countries like Pakistan.

Assessing seafood nutritional diversity together with climate impacts informs more comprehensive dietary advice

Seafood holds promise for helping meet nutritional needs at a low climate impact. Here, we assess the nutrient density and greenhouse gas emissions, weighted by production method, that result from fishing and farming of globally important species. The highest nutrient benefit at the lowest emissions is achieved by consuming wild-caught small pelagic and salmonid species, and farmed bivalves like mussels and oysters. Many but not all seafood species provide more nutrition at lower emissions than land animal proteins, especially red meat, but large differences exist, even within species groups and species, depending on production method. Which nutrients contribute to nutrient density differs between seafoods, as do the nutrient needs of population groups within and between countries or regions. Based on the patterns found in nutritional attributes and climate impact, we recommend refocusing and tailoring production and consumption patterns towards species and production methods with improved nutrition and climate performance, taking into account specific nutritional needs and emission reduction goals.

The Role of Amaranth, Quinoa, and Millets for the Development of Healthy, Sustainable Food Products-A Concise Review.

The selection of sustainable crops adaptable to the rapidly changing environment, which also cater to the dietary needs of the growing population, is a primary challenge in meeting food security. Grains from ancient crops such as amaranth, quinoa, and millets are positioned to address this challenge and hence have gained dietary predominance among cereals and pseudocereals due to their nutritional value and energy efficiency. From a nutritional perspective, they are recognized for their complete protein, phenolic compounds and flavonoids, prebiotic fibers, and essential micronutrients, including minerals and vitamins. Bioactive peptides from their proteins have shown antihypertensive, antidiabetic, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. The nutritional diversity of these grains makes them a preferred choice over traditional cereals for developing healthy, sustainable food products such as plant-based dairy, vegan meats, and gluten-free products. With growing consumer awareness about sustainability and health, the categories mentioned above are transitioning from ‘emerging’ to ‘mainstream’; however, there is still a significant need to include such healthy grains to fulfill the nutritional gap. This review article emphasizes the health benefits of amaranth, quinoa, and millet grains and discusses the recent research progress in understanding their application in new sustainable food categories. The challenges associated with their incorporation into novel foods and future research directions are also provided.

Physiological and Molecular Approaches for Developing Thermotolerance in Vegetable Crops: A Growth, Yield and Sustenance Perspective

Vegetables are a distinct collection of plant-based foods that vary in nutritional diversity and form an important part of the healthy diet of the human being. Besides providing basic nutrition, they have great potential for boosting human health. The balanced consumption of vegetables is highly recommended for supplementing the human body with better nutrition density, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and bioactive compounds. However, the production and quality of fresh vegetables are influenced directly or indirectly by exposure to high temperatures or heat stress (HS). A decline in quality traits and harvestable yield are the most common effects of HS among vegetable crops. Heat-induced morphological damage, such as poor vegetative growth, leaf tip burning, and rib discoloration in leafy vegetables and sunburn, decreased fruit size, fruit/pod abortion, and unfilled fruit/pods in beans, are common, often rendering vegetable cultivation unprofitable. Further studies to trace down the possible physiological and biochemical effects associated with crop failure reveal that the key factors include membrane damage, photosynthetic inhibition, oxidative stress, and damage to reproductive tissues, which may be the key factors governing heat-induced crop failure. The reproductive stage of plants has extensively been studied for HS-induced abnormalities. Plant reproduction is more sensitive to HS than the vegetative stages, and affects various reproductive processes like pollen germination, pollen load, pollen tube growth, stigma receptivity, ovule fertility and, seed filling, resulting in poorer yields. Hence, sound and robust adaptation and mitigation strategies are needed to overcome the adverse impacts of HS at the morphological, physiological, and biochemical levels to ensure the productivity and quality of vegetable crops. Physiological traits such as the stay-green trait, canopy temperature depression, cell membrane thermostability, chlorophyll fluorescence, relative water content, increased reproductive fertility, fruit numbers, and fruit size are important for developing better yielding heat-tolerant varieties/cultivars. Moreover, various molecular approaches such as omics, molecular breeding, and transgenics, have been proved to be useful in enhancing/incorporating tolerance and can be potential tools for developing heat-tolerant varieties/cultivars. Further, these approaches will provide insights into the physiological and molecular mechanisms that govern thermotolerance and pave the way for engineering “designer” vegetable crops for better health and nutritional security. Besides these approaches, agronomic methods are also important for adaptation, escape and mitigation of HS protect and improve yields.

Effect of zinc deficiency on hair loss in pregnant women

Zinc and iron, for example, are crucial trace elements for pregnant women's health. This study has been conducted for the evaluation of zinc and ferritin status of pregnant women since these elements have significant effects on health of the pregnant women as well as the growing embryo in Al Muthanna Province/ Iraq. Seventy five samples of this study were gathered from the three studied groups (Control, pregnant women with Hair Losing and non-pregnant women with Hair Losing) in the Central Health Laboratory of Al Muthanna Province through the period from November 2020 to May 2021, blood samples were collected for further analysis Conclusions : According to the findings of this study, serum zinc and ferritin levels are frequently low in pregnant women who complain of hair loss. Overall, zinc and ferritin insufficiency in Iraq is a major public health concern. Improving nutritional diversity aids in solving the risk among the study participants.

Nutritional diversity of Indian lablab bean (Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet): An approach towards biofortification

Worldwide prevalent malnourishment associated with human health could be improved by biofortification of climate-resilient vegetable crops through breeding strategies. Nutritional diversity of lablab bean accessions evaluated for nutritional composition and association among the traits. A core set of 54 cultivated accessions of lablab bean collected from different locations of Eastern ghats and scored for 10 nutritional traits which ranged as protein (0.81–5.92 g/100 g), vitamin C (2.49–7.87 mg/100 g), phenol (0.84–3.17 mg/g), calcium (3.45–39.51 ppm), iron (8.80–34.32 ppm), copper (1.10–11.88 ppm), manganese (4.14–26.27 ppm), zinc (25.3–57.5 ppm), phosphorous (16.24–50.21%) & potassium (8.65–75.19%) and exhibited substantial variability among genotypes and significant differences (p < 0.001) except vitamin C content. The genotypes IIHR-B-DB-52 and IIHR-B-DB-56 recorded the highest magnitude for micronutrients (iron; 34.32 ppm & zinc; 57.5 ppm) and protein; 5.92 g/100 g, respectively. The correlation studies among traits indicated the strong and significant association of zinc with copper (0.45) and iron (0.29) while potassium showed a moderate association with manganese (0.41), zinc (0.34), and calcium (0.33); therefore these traits may be targeted together for lablab bean improvement programs. The Principal Component analysis showed that the first 5 PCs explained 71.94% of total variability from evaluated genotypes and all nutrient traits contributed to overall genetic variations. These genotypes were segregated into five clusters which were observed neutral to nutrient traits dispersal and geographical distribution.

Under-five Nutritional Status and its Relationship with Household Dietary Diversity and Food Security among the Dayak Communities in Sarawak, Malaysia

Background: Malnutrition among under-five children is one of the paramount public health concerns in the country. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the relationship between under-five nutritional status and household dietary diversity (HDD) and household food security (HFS). Methods: In this cross-sectional study analysed 808 under-five children’s data from 50 villages in five divisions of Sarawak using a multistage cluster sampling technique. Data were collected by face-to-face interview using interviewer-administered questionnaires. WHO Anthro version 3.2.2 was used for anthropometric, and IBM SPSS version 22.0 was used for multivariate data analysis. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that children with low HDD were 1.68 times more likely to be stunted than those with high HDD. Children from households with food insecurity but without hunger were 3.86 times and with hunger were 4.02 times likely to be wasted in the last three months and were almost six times more likely to stunted at the same time. The likelihood of being underweight was 2.86 times more likely to occur in households with food insecurity without hunger and 4.89 times in food insecurity with hunger households. In the past 12 months, children from households with food insecurity with hunger were 8.56 times and four times more likely to be stunted with food insecurity without hunger. Underweight children had twice the odds of occurring in households with food insecurity without hunger compared with food secured households. HFS in the last three months had a significant association with wasting, stunting and underweight of the children, while HFS in the last 12 months was associated with stunting and underweight children. Conclusion: Low HDD had resulted in stunting, and food insecurity had resulted in wasting, stunting and underweight in under-five Dayak children in rural areas of Sarawak. A food-based intervention programme should be undertaken for malnourished children. Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull 2021; 47(2): 127-135

Temporal Patterns of Honeybee Foraging in a Diverse Floral Landscape Revealed Using Pollen DNA Metabarcoding of Honey.

SynopsisUnderstanding the plants pollinators use through the year is vital to support pollinator populations and mitigate for declines in floral resources due to habitat loss. DNA metabarcoding allows the temporal picture of nectar and pollen foraging to be examined in detail. Here, we use DNA metabarcoding to examine the forage use of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) within a florally diverse landscape within the UK, documenting the key forage plants used and seasonal progression over two years. The total number of plant taxa detected in the honey was 120, but only 16 of these were found with a high relative read abundance of DNA, across the main foraging months (April–September). Only a small proportion of the available flowering genera in the landscape were used by the honeybees. The greatest relative read abundance came from native or near-native plants, including Rubus spp., Trifolium repens, the Maleae tribe including Crataegus, Malus, and Cotoneaster, and Hedera helix. Tree species were important forage in the spring months, followed by increased use of herbs and shrubs later in the foraging season. Garden habitat increased the taxon richness of native, near-native and horticultural plants found in the honey. Although horticultural plants were rarely found abundantly within the honey samples, they may be important for increasing nutritional diversity of the pollen forage.

Is nutritional functional diversity in the rural food and nutrition system associated with food security and nutrient adequacy? A case study of rural areas of Zahedan district, Iran

BackgroundAn overlooked problem in food and nutrition system analysis is assuring adequate diversity for a healthy diet. Little is known about nutrient diversity in food and nutrition systems and how it transmits to dietary diversity. Nutritional functional diversity (NFD) is a metric that describes diversity in providing nutrients from farm to market and the consumption level. The objective of this study is to determine the NFD score at different stages of the rural food and nutrition system, including household’s agricultural and home production, domestic food processing, purchased food, and diet. It also aims to explore the association between NFD and nutrient adequacy, food security, and anthropometric indicators.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on 321 households in 6 villages of Zahedan district. The NFD score was measured at three subsystems (production, processing, and consumption) of the food and nutrition system. Household food security, mean adequacy ratio (MAR), and anthropometrics of the household’s head were measured to assess the association between NFD and food and nutrition indicators. Linear and bivariate statistical techniques were applied to study the associations between variables.ResultsIn the rural food and nutrition system, the food purchased from the city plays the main role in the households NFD score. Their contribution to total NFD was twice that of the food items purchased from the village. The NFD score of homestead production and households food processing was found to be five times less than those of food purchased from cities. The food insecure households had significantly lower NFD scores for food purchased from the city and higher NFD scores for purchased food items from the rural market and native wild vegetable consumption. A strong and positive relationship was observed between NFD of food items purchased from the city and households’MAR. No significant association was found between the NFD score of homestead production, processing, and dependent variables, i.e. food insecurity, MAR, and household head anthropometrics.ConclusionNFD score, as a relatively new metric, could help in determining diversity from farm to diet and identifying the gaps to plan appropriate interventions for improving diversity in the local food system.

Nutritional Diversity in Native Germplasm of Maize Collected From Three Different Fragile Ecosystems of India.

Native germplasm resources are adapted to specific ecological niches. They have sustained over generations owing to the preference of local communities for their unique taste, the utility to particular dishes, and the low cost of cultivation. They may help eradicate malnutrition and act as a source for trait-linked genes. The present dataset comprises thirty-three native germplasm of maize collected from Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh states of India with an altitudinal variation of 386–2,028 m. They were evaluated for proximate composition, minerals, nutritional attributes, and antioxidant activity and compared with the standard values reported in the Indian Food Composition Table 2017 (IFCT2017). The nutritional profile showed moisture content in the range of 7.16–10.9%, ash 0.73–1.93%, crude protein 8.68–12.0%, crude fat 3.72–8.03%, dietary fiber 5.21–11.2%, and available carbohydrates 60.6–69.8%. Three accessions, namely, Malan 11 (7.06%), Malan 24 (7.20%), and Yellow Chamba Local 02 (8.03%) exhibited almost double the crude fat content as compared with the values notified in IFCT2017 (3.77). Total sugar content obtained was in the range of 5.00–11.3%, whereas the starch content was found between 50.9 and 64.9%. All the germplasm except Yellow Chamba Local reflected a higher protein content than reported values in IFCT2017 (8.80). Sathi, Safed Chamba Local, and Ragal Makka had nearly 12% protein content. Mineral malnutrition, mainly due to iron (Fe) deficiency, is a worldwide issue to science, humanity, and society. The mineral profile revealed that most germplasm had a higher iron content. Accessions with the iron content of nearly three times of IFCT2017 reported value were identified in germplasm belonging to three states. A negative relationship was observed between the altitude of the sample collection site and available carbohydrate content. In contrast, available carbohydrate showed inverse correlations with dietary fiber, protein, and fat content. The information generated in this study can be utilized to promote these germplasm as nutrifood, nutritional surveillance, labeling, and crop improvement programs.

Metabolomic Analysis Reveals Nutritional Diversity among Three Staple Crops and Three Fruits.

More than 2 billion people worldwide are under threat of nutritional deficiency. Thus, an in-depth comprehension of the nutritional composition of staple crops and popular fruits is essential for health. Herein, we performed LC-MS-based non-targeted and targeted metabolome analyses with crops (including wheat, rice, and corn) and fruits (including grape, banana, and mango). We detected a total of 2631 compounds by using non-targeted strategy and identified more than 260 nutrients. Our work discovered species-dependent accumulation of common present nutrients in crops and fruits. Although rice and wheat lack vitamins and amino acids, sweet corn was rich in most amino acids and vitamins. Among the three fruits, mango had more vitamins and amino acids than grape and banana. Grape and banana provided sufficient 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and vitamin B6, respectively. Moreover, rice and grape had a high content of flavonoids. In addition, the three crops contained more lipids than fruits. Furthermore, we also identified species-specific metabolites. The crops yielded 11 specific metabolites, including flavonoids, lipids, and others. Meanwhile, most fruit-specific nutrients were flavonoids. Our work discovered the complementary pattern of essential nutrients in crops and fruits, which provides metabolomic evidence for a healthy diet.

Phenotypic and genetic variability induced in Lehmann’s love grass (&lt;i&gt;Eragrostis lehmanniana&lt;/i&gt;) through gamma irradiation

This study assessed the morphological and nutritional diversity induced through gamma irradiation in Lehmann’slove grass. Seed were irradiated at doses of 0, 100, 200, 300, 450, 600, 900, and 1400 Gy. Ten agronomic traits relatedwith forage quality were evaluated and used to select the mutants, which were confirmed by cluster analysis andmultivariate analysis of variance and then characterized by nutritional and molecular characterization. Mutants with16–20% less (p&lt;0.05) lignin and 36–68% more protein content than the control genotype were found. Genetic distances of 0.38 and 0.49 also revealed differences (p&lt;0.05) between the mutants and control genotype. The phenotypic and genetic variability, induced through gamma irradiation, resulted in the identification of two first generation mutants with outstanding agronomic traits and nutritional quality.

PERTAHANKAN DIVERSIFIKASI ASAL PANGAN POKOK SEBAGAI STRATEGI PENCAPAIAN KETAHANAN DAN PERTAHANAN PANGAN NASIONAL

Sovereignty, security and household food defense are defined as the entire population obtaining and being able to consume sufficient food in quantity, quality, nutritious and affordable. The poverty and hunger alleviation policy program is closely related to the fulfillment of the economy and the food needs of the community. Farming and livestock food production aims to meet the needs of the community and as a source of income for the actors involved. Downstream, it is influenced by the availability of safe, nutritious and affordable food along with the community's ability to earn income. The policy is national, affecting sovereignty, food security and defense as well as the sustainability of agricultural development in a wider range, not just production and productivity. With a qualitative descriptive, this paper proposes the empowerment of human resources and agricultural institutions as a strategy for achieving and increasing food sovereignty, security and defense related to aspects of availability and diversification. It is a fact that poverty and hunger are closely related to sovereignty, food security and defense, which is an unfinished agenda. Considering the potential of natural resources, labor, and the environment in rural areas, it is very supportive of the development of agriculture and animal husbandry by integrating an integrated crop-livestock system, both organic and locally specific. Sovereignty, food security and defense can be realized through the function of infrastructure for food supply, distribution and consumption, by business actors in production (producers to post-harvest), distribution and services as well as managing food and nutrition diversification. The importance of adequate food reflects the achievements of the national development policy program, although its sustainability will still be a necessity.

The National Food Security Act and Impact on International Trade

The National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013, which was just passed by the Indian Parliament, intends to ensure food security in India, primarily through delivering subsidized grains to around two-thirds of families through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). The cost of such an ambitious rights-based strategy in the midst of slowing economic development and mounting fiscal deficits has been the most common complaint leveled at the NFSA. We believe that, while food subsidies have been increasing over the last few decades and will continue to rise as a result of this act, the incremental costs, at roughly 0.2 percent of GDP, are not as significant as indicated. Furthermore, recent evidence of increased TPDS use and lower corruption lends credence to the act's assumption that considerable revenue transfers to impoverished households can be made, enhancing food security and nutritional diversification. Several issues remain to be addressed in the act's design and execution, including its projected coverage, a cereal-centric strategy, beneficiary identification, and state flexibility. If these issues are successfully handled, the act might be a huge step forward in India's long-running fight against malnutrition and food insecurity. Finally, the NFSA presents a new chance to reform and improve the TPDS, which has long been an important part of India's national strategy to attain food security.