Integrated breeding approaches to enhance the nutritional quality of food legumes

Abstract

Global food security, both in terms of quantity and quality remains as a challenge with the increasing population. In parallel, micronutrient deficiency in the human diet leads to malnutrition and several health-related problems collectively known as “hidden hunger” more prominent in developing countries around the globe. Biofortification is a potential tool to fortify grain legumes with micronutrients to mitigate the food and nutritional security of the ever-increasing population. Anti-nutritional factors like phytates, raffinose (RFO’s), oxalates, tannin, etc. have adverse effects on human health upon consumption. Reduction of the anti-nutritional factors or preventing their accumulation offers opportunity for enhancing the intake of legumes in diet besides increasing the bioavailability of micronutrients. Integrated breeding methods are routinely being used to exploit the available genetic variability for micronutrients through modern “omic” technologies such as genomics, transcriptomics, ionomics, and metabolomics for developing biofortified grain legumes. Molecular mechanism of Fe/Zn uptake, phytate, and raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) biosynthesis pathways have been elucidated. Transgenic, microRNAs and genome editing tools hold great promise for designing nutrient-dense and anti-nutrient-free grain legumes. In this review, we present the recent efforts toward manipulation of genes/QTLs regulating biofortification and Anti-nutrient accumulation in legumes using genetics-, genomics-, microRNA-, and genome editing-based approaches. We also discuss the success stories in legumes enrichment and recent advances in development of low Anti-nutrient lines. We hope that these emerging tools and techniques will expedite the efforts to develop micronutrient dense legume crop varieties devoid of Anti-nutritional factors that will serve to address the challenges like malnutrition and hidden hunger.

The Non-Nutritional Factor Types, Mechanisms of Action and Passivation Methods in Food Processing of Kidney Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.): A Systematic Review

“…Phytic acid or phytate is the major storage form of naturally occurring phosphate in KBs, a source of mineral nutrients and inositol used during germination, and is capable of chelating mineral cations and proteins, forming insoluble precipitation complexes, reducing the bioavailability of minerals and protein digestibility in the gastrointestinal tract [54,55]. KB seeds are rich in magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc, but also contain high levels of phytic acid, which limits the absorption of minerals during digestion [56].…”

Plant breeding is needed to meet agroecological requirements: Legume crops as a case study

“…Complete genome sequences are becoming available for an increasing number of legume crops, and, even when not yet available, the cheapening of genotyping by sequencing techniques and/or array-based genotyping is facilitating molecular analysis in legume crop species that have not yet been sequenced. Because of this, the number of available markers of all types is rapidly increasing for all species, allowing increasingly precise mapping of QTL/genes of interest placing us in a position to apply marker-assisted selection or even genomic selection in species where it was unthinkable a few years ago (Annicchiarico et al, 2017; Bohra et al, 2020; Pandey et al, 2021; Jha et al, 2022).…”

Yellow Mosaic Virus (YMV) in Green Gram: Impacts, Management, and Future Perspectives

“…Host Plant Resistance: Identifying and utilizing naturally resistant cultivars or landraces can provide immediate relief from YMV. Screening programs are conducted to identify resistant sources and incorporate their resistance traits into commercial varieties through breeding efforts [56].…”