Food Biofortification: A Transition from Nutrient Enrichment to Physiological Significance

Ini-Oluwa A. Akindoyeni^1,2, Stephen A. Adefegha¹, Sunday I. Oyeleye^1,3, Ganiyu Oboh^1*

¹Functional Foods, Nutraceuticals and Phytomedicine Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria

²Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Federal Polytechnic, Ile-Oluji. 200223, Ondo, Nigeria

³Department of Biomedical Technology, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 704, Akure 340001, Nigeria

Corresponding Author: [email protected] ; Tel: 07031388644

Recieved Date: 12 March 2021; Accepted Date: 28 December 2021; Published Date: 04 January

Citation: Akindoyeni IA, Adefegha SA, Oyeleye SI, Oboh G. Food Biofortification: A Transition from Nutrient Enrichment to Physiological Significance. Trop J Nat Prod Res. 2021; 5(12): 2051-2056 http://www.doi.org/10.26538/tjnpr/v5i12.1

Copyright:

© 2021 Akindoyeni et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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ABSTRACT

The benefits of food surpassed the traditional role of providing energy. Foods are being researched and channelled toward the treatment of nutrient deficiencies and the management of certain diseases. This is due to the presence of micronutrients and phytochemicals, which confer a variety of health benefits. The concentrations or levels of these phytochemicals and micronutrients vary in food crops, particularly in the edible portion, which can lead to nutrient deficiency. Nutrient deficiency may pose a threat to life and also lead to the degeneration of some disease conditions. This review aims purposely to throw more light and encourage the use of biofortified foods in the treatment of certain diseases. This review was conducted based on previous scholarly works, which were accessible online and published in English. The source includes Google Scholar, PubMed, ResearchGate and Scopus, and other platforms for reviews and studies related to the aim of this work. The search terms included biofortification, selenium, Nutrient Deficiency, Micronutrient, Phytochemicals; Biofortification; Diseases and other related terminologies. The advent of biofortification has helped to promote the availability of essential nutrients and phytochemicals in the edible portion of crops, thereby reducing micronutrient deficiency in world populations. Diseases caused by nutrient deficiencies, such as goitre, night blindness, and anaemia, have been addressed with the help of biofortification programs.