Biofortification of vegetable crops to boost nutraceuticals in human diet: A Review

Nutritional security is the primary subject of study for developing nations after food
security. By biofortifying grains and vegetables, agricultural scientists are able to alter the
physiology of crops and fight "hidden hunger," which affects the majority of people in
underdeveloped nations. Plant breeders, molecular scientists, and genetic engineers have a lot of
opportunities to increase the micronutrient density and vitamin content of vegetables and staple
food crops for underdeveloped nations. Vegetables have a sufficient genetic variability, but there
are still a few characteristics that need to be looked at. Both traditional breeding and genetic
engineering call for the introduction of certain features when used to boost micronutrient and
vitamin content. Recent genetic discoveries have made it feasible to increase micronutrients by
decreasing anti-nutrients like phytic acid or tannins. Vegetables may be biofortified using
genome editing techniques like ZFN, TALENS, CRISPR-Cas9, etc. that have the ability to alter
plant genes or knock down undesired characteristics. Many methods for achieving desired
genetic change without the regulatory difficulties associated with transgenic technology are now
possible due to recent advances in genome editing. The goal of current research is now to
encourage a healthy lifestyle via the use of dietary supplements and a diet rich in fruits and
vegetables.