ENHANCING THE NUTRIENT CONCENTRATION IN RICE GRAIN THROUGH ZINC BIOFORTIFICATION

Аннотация

Zinc deficiency is a major health concern in many developing countries, and rice is a staple food for millions of people worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the effect of zinc biofortification on nutrient concentration in rice grain. Two rice cultivars were grown under zinc-sufficient and zinc-deficient conditions, with and without zinc fertilization. Zinc biofortification significantly increased zinc concentration in rice grain and improved the bioavailability of other micronutrients, such as iron and manganese. However, there was no significant effect of zinc biofortification on the macronutrient concentration of rice grain. These findings suggest that zinc biofortification can be an effective strategy to address micronutrient malnutrition in rice-consuming populations. KEYWORDS Zinc biofortification, rice grain, nutrient concentration, micronutrients, macronutrients.