Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 10
Biofortified Maize - A GeneticAvenue
for Nutritional Security
RamanBabu,NataliaPalaciosand BMPrasanna
Abstract
Over the past four decades significant progress has been made in advancing maize production as well
as productivity, resulting in increased per capita availability in many developing nations. However,
overdependence on cereal-based diets coupled with inadequate grain legume production and availabil-
ity will likely lead to serious nutritional deficiencies, especially in developing nations, where animal
products are either expensive or insufficiently produced. It is therefore imperative to pay attention to
improving the nutritional qualities of staple cereals such as maize, which is extensively consumed as
human food in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia. Here we briefly
review the biochemical characteristics of normal grain maize, its nutritional deficiencies, with special
reference to imbalanced amino acid composition in the endosperm, low carotenoid and high phytic
acid content, and various scientific approaches to “biofortify” maize grain. Quality protein maize
(QPM) represents an excellent technological intervention, which contains twice the amount of lysine
and tryptophan as normal maize. The recent discovery of two key genes influencing grain carotenoid
composition has enabled increasing the beta carotene content of yellow maize two- to tenfold in the
tropical germplasm. A number of scientific advances have been made in understanding the phytate
metabolic pathway in maize, which appears promising for product development in the future. The
biofortification objectives in maize are likely to evolve further as new targets such as antioxidant and
prebiotic content and bioavailability emerge relevant to the target sub-populations.
alcoholic beverages, food sweeteners, and, more
recently, fuel. Maize is a major source of calories
in the diets of 230 million inhabitants of devel-
oping countries
Introduction
Maize (
Zea mays
L.), which literally means
“that which sustains life,” is an important cereal
grain providing nutrients for humans and ani-
mals worldwide. In addition, it is a basic raw
material for the production of starch, oil, protein,
81 million in sub-Saharan
Africa, 141 million in South Asia, and 8 mil-
lion in Latin America. Annual per capita maize
consumption averages 36, 10, and 23 kilograms,
−
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