title: Current Knowledge on Genetic Biofortification in Lentil.
abstract: Micronutrient deficiency in the human body, popularly known as "hidden hunger", causes many health problems. It presently affects >2 billion people worldwide, especially in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Biofortification of food crop varieties is one way to combat the problem of hidden hunger using conventional plant breeding and transgenic methods. Lentils are rich sources of protein, micronutrients, and vitamins including iron, zinc, selenium, folates, and carotenoids. Lentil genetic resources including germplasm and wild species showed genetic variability for these traits. Studies revealed that a single serving of lentils could provide a significant amount of the recommended daily allowance of micronutrients and vitamins for adults. Therefore, lentils have been identified as a food legume for biofortification, which could provide a whole food solution to the global micronutrient malnutrition. The present review discusses the current ongoing efforts toward genetic biofortification in lentils using classical breeding and molecular marker-assisted approaches.
authors: Division of Crop Improvement, ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research , Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208024, India.
authors: Jitendra
authors: J
authors: Kumar
authors: Division of Crop Improvement, ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research , Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208024, India.
authors: Debjyoti Sen
authors: DS
authors: Gupta
authors: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Rabat-Institutes , B.P. 6299, Rabat, Morocco.
authors: Shiv
authors: S
authors: Kumar
authors: AICRP on MULLaRP, ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research , Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208024, India.
authors: Sanjeev
authors: S
authors: Gupta
authors: Division of Biotechnology, ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulses Research , Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh 208024, India.
authors: Narendra Pratap
authors: NP
authors: Singh
mesh_terms: D000072759:Biofortification / Q000379:methods*; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D006824:Hybridization, Genetic; D027806:Lens Plant / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000737:chemistry*; D009753:Nutritive Value; D000069600:Plant Breeding; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000737:chemistry; D014815:Vitamins
chemical_list: D018977:Micronutrients; D014815:Vitamins
keywords: biofortification; breeding; genomics; lentils; micronutrients; molecular markers; prebreeding