Physiological, Genetic, Molecular, and Environmental Factors Influencing Seed Nutrition Ⅱ
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Systems and Synthetic Biology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 5291
Special Issue Editors
Interests: physiology; genetics; seed/grain nutrition; seed/grain nutritional qualities; soybean
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: grain nutrition; plant physiology; environmental effects on crops production and quality; fertilizer management and environmental sustainability; irrigation effects on crop production and quality and runoff of nutrients
Interests: biocontrol of aflatoxins; grains mycotoxins; grains quality; soil health and grain quality
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Human health and nutrition is one of the objectives of the World Health Organization. Although crop breeding and genetics have advanced our knowledge and agriculture practices to increase yields and improve the seed quality and nutrition to meet population needs in the 21st century, malnutrition is still a serious concern in many parts of the world. Seed nutrition, including protein, oil, fatty acids, and minerals, is genetically controlled; however, environmental conditions such as heat, drought, diseases, and pests can significantly affect the seed quality and nutrition. Recent research on seed nutrition has focused on increasing seed nutrients, including protein, oil, specific fatty acids, and specific sugars, and decreasing anti-nutritional components. For example, soybean seed is a source of protein (37–42%), oil (18–23%), saturated (palmitic and stearic) and unsaturated (oleic, linoleic, and linolenic) fatty acids, sugars (including sucrose, raffinose, stachyose, glucose, and fructose), minerals (including P, K, Mg, K, Ca, Zn, Fe, and B), and isoflavones (including daidzein, genistein, and glycitein). Recently, breeding programs have succeeded in producing varieties with modified protein and fatty acids to meet protein meal requirements for human consumption and livestock, and industry needs for oil processing. Additionally, transgenic technology led by public sector and private companies is now able to develop soybean cultivars with high-quality seed nutrition, containing modified fatty acids such as a high amount of oleic acid (up to about 80%; conventional cultivars contain about 18–25%) and a low amount linolenic acid (1%; conventional cultivars contain about 5–11%). Both fatty acids are desirable for the oxidative stability of the oil and shelf life. A high amount of oleic acid and a low amount of linolenic acids can eliminate or minimize hydrogenation to minimize the transfatty acid content. Similar research has been conducted to develop desirable seed traits, such as higher sucrose content for taste and flavor; higher protein content for high soymeal quality and human consumption; higher polyunstaturated fatty acid content; higher mineral content, especially Ca, K, P, Zn, and Fe for children’s and pregnant women’s needs; a decrease in anti-nutritional compounds such as phytic acid, which plays a role as a chelating agent for cations such as Ca, Zn, and Fe; a decrease in cottonseed gossypol, a compound that is potentially toxic and has detrimental health effects; a decrease in or elimination of mycotoxins in corn; and the fortification of rice with vitamins and nutrients to address nutrient deficiencies, such as Fe, Zn, and folic acid. Therefore, further research is needed to improve seeds with desirable traits using different tools, including crop breeding, genetic transformation, and best agronomic practices. The objective of this Special Issue is to present studies that use breeding, genetic, molecular, and best agronomic practices to address major abiotic environmental stress factors, including heat, drought, diseases, and pests, to improve seed nutrition and quality. We invite you to submit a research paper on any aspect of improving seed quality and nutrients, including protein, oils, fatty acids, and amino acids, or eliminating or minimizing anti-nutritional compounds.
Dr. Nacer Bellaloui
Prof. Dr. Renata Gaj
Dr. Cesare Accinelli
Dr. Hamed Abbas
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- seed nutrition
- anti-nutritional compounds
- seed protein and oil
- seed composition
- modified protein and oil
- seed minerals
- seed desirable traits
- crop breeding
- crop genetics
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