biofortification of staple crops: provitamin a cassava as a case study

Biofortification of Staple Crops : Pro-vitamin A Cassava as a case

study.A Seminar (BCM 417) Presented

ByONYIBA, Cosmos Ifeanyi

MOUAU/10/15593

Department of BiochemistryCollege of Natural Sciences (COLNAS)

Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike July, 2014

cosmos_onyiba@yahoo.com +2348062633518

Outline

Introduction The concept of Biofortification Latest Biofortified crops on market Methods of Biofortification Conventional breeding of Provitamin A cassava Genetic Modification/Trangenic Provitamin A cassava development Integration of genetic modification and conventional breeding Conventional Breeding versus Genetic Modification Biochemical Relevance of Provitamin A cassava Conclusion

Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals in our diets causes malnutrition and is popularly known as “hidden hunger”. Conventional responses (such as diet diversification, supplementation, fortification of manufactured foods) have had limited impact

Vitamin A and zinc deficiencies are estimated to cause 600,000 and 400,000 deaths annually, respectively (Black et al., 2008)

Cassava contains little zinc, iron, and β-carotene, yet it is the primary staple crop of over 250 million Africans thus, Children Consuming Cassava as a Staple Food are at risk for Inadequate Zinc, Iron, and Vitamin A Intake (Gegios et al., 2010)

Biofortifying staple crops (such as cassava) that feed the world's poor can significantly improve the amount of these nutrients consumed by target populations (Welch et al., 2004).

Introduction

The Concept of Biofortification

Greek word “bios” means “life”

Latin word “fortificare” means “make strong”

• Rice• Wheat• Maize• Cassava• Sweet Potato• Beans• Millet• Yam

• Potato• Barley• Cowpeas• Groundnuts• Lentils• Plantain• Sorghum• Pigeon Peas

MAKE LIFE STRONG!!!

Targeted Crops

Latest Biofortified Crops in the market

2007

2011

CassavaProvitamin ADR Congo, Nigeria

2012

BeansIron DR Congo, Rwanda

2012

MaizeProvitamin AZambia, Nigeria*

Sweet PotatoProvitamin AMozambique, Uganda

2013

RiceZinc Bangladesh, India

2013

WheatZincIndia, Pakistan

2012

Pearl MilletIron India

Methods of Biofortification

Biofortification

Fertilizer application

Conventional breeding

Genetic modification

Conventional breedingConventional Development of Provitamin A Cassava

“The use of biotechnological tools, such as molecular marker-assisted selection, will significantly increase the pace and prospects of success for breeding to improve the nutritional value of staple food crops” Gregorio 2002

Genetic modificationEngineering the beta-carotene pathway in cassava

Genetic ModificationTrangenic Provitamin A development procedures

Nucleic acid extraction

Gene cloning

Gene Design and Packaging

Detection of Inserted Genes

Backcross Breeding (if needed)

Polymerase chain reaction

Integration of Genetic Modification and Conventional Breeding

Conventional Breeding vs. Genetic Modification

Biofortified Crops

Dioxygenase

Beta-carotene

Retinol (vitamin A)

Retinal

Reductase

Biochemical relevance of Pro-vitamin A cassava(intestinal conversion, absorption and transport)

2

2Liver

Blood

Tissues

Biochemical relevance of Pro-vitamin A cassava(metabolism)

Biofortification has the potential to complement the existing micronutrient interventions, in particular by targeting the rural poor who eat large quantities of staple crops and often have little access to commercially processed food – i.e. among whom the impact of industrial fortification is limited (Tanumihardjo et al. 2008)

Biofortification of cassava with the provitamin A carotenoid beta-carotene is a potential mechanism for alleviating vitamin A deficiences

Conclusion

Thank You Onyiba Cosmos I.

cosmos_onyiba@yahoo.com,+2348062633518