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Enhancing iron bioavailability of maize using a Caco2 cell/quantitative trait loci model
Author(s) -
Lung'aho Mercy,
Hoekenga Owen,
Tako Elad,
Glahn Raymond
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.24.1_supplement.717.10
Subject(s) - bioavailability , quantitative trait locus , biofortification , population , iron deficiency , food science , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , agronomy , chemistry , gene , biochemistry , micronutrient , anemia , medicine , pharmacology , environmental health , organic chemistry
Iron deficiency is an important public health problem that is estimated to affect over one‐half the world population. Improving the nutritional quality of staple food crops such as maize, by developing varieties with high bioavailable iron represents a sustainable and cost effective approach to alleviating iron malnutrition. The aim of our study was to use a Caco‐2 cell/quantitative trait loci (QTL) model to discover the genes that influence maize grain iron concentration and amount of bioavailable iron. After several breeding cycles guided by measurements of Fe bioavailability with the Caco‐2 cell model, we identified two maize lines with identical grain iron concentration (20 ppm), but one line contained double the amount of bioavailable iron (p < 0.001). Three QTL were found to influence the bioavailability of iron in the two maize lines. Blood hemoglobin data from a poultry model confirmed the results of the Caco‐2 cell model. Some of the lines screened using the Caco‐2 cell/QTL model have been grown at multiple locations and data show a genotype × environment (G×E) interaction. We conclude that conventional breeding can significantly improve iron bioavailability in maize grain and that the G×E effect plays a major role in Fe bioavailability. Human feeding trials should be conducted to determine the efficacyof consuming the high bioavailability maize. Source of research support: United States Department of Agriculture, Cornell University