Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 3.1 Continued
Trait
Crop (trait detail)
Reference
Tomato (+resveratrol;
chlorogenic acid↑;flavonoids↑;
stilbene↑anthocynanins↑)
Giovinazzo et al. 2005; Niggeweg
et al. 2004; Muir et al. 2001; Rosati
2000, Gonzali et al. 2009
Wheat (caffeic and ferulic acids↑;
+resveratrol)
UPI 2002
Mineral availabilities
Alfalfa (phytase↑)
Austin-Phillips et al. 1999
Lettuce (iron↑)
Goto et al. 2000
Rice (iron↑)
Lucca et al. 2002
Maize (phytase↑, ferritin↑)
Drakakaki 2005; Han 2009
Soybean (phytase↑)
Denbow et al. 1998
Wheat (phytase↑)
Brinch-Pedersen et al. 2000, 2006
1 Excludes protein/starch functionality, shelf life, taste/aesthetics, fiber quality and allergen/toxin
reduction traits. Modified from ILSI, 2004, 2008.
Functional food components are of increasing interest in the prevention and treat-
ment of a number of the leading causes of death, including cancer, diabetes, cardiovas-
cular disease, and hypertension. Many food components are known to influence the
expression of both structural genes and transcription factors in humans (Go et al. 2005,
Mazzatti et al. 2008). Examples of these phytochemicals are listed in Table 3.2. The large
diversity of phytochemicals suggests that the potential impact of phytochemicals and
functional foods on human and animal health is worth examining as targets of biotech-
nology efforts. From a health perspective, plant components of dietary interest can be
broadly divided into four main categories, which can be further broken down into posi-
tive and negative attributions for human nutrition: macronutrients (proteins, carbohy-
drates, lipids [oils], and fiber); micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals);
anti-nutrients (substances such as phytate that limit bioavailability of nutrients); and
allergens, intolerances, and toxins.
Technological Challenges
Of the 200,000 or so metabolites (phytochemicals) produced by plants, approximately
25,000 of them have known effects in the human diet (Go et al. 2005). Analysis of these
metabolites is a valuable tool in providing a better understanding of what has occurred
during crop domestication, when traits are often lost or silenced, which can enable
researchers to design new paradigms for more targeted crop improvement tailored
to current needs (Hall et al. 2008). In addition, with modern techniques, we have the
potential to seek out, analyze, and introgress traits of value that were limited in previous
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