Biofortification in the food chain, and use of selenium and phyto-compounds in prevention and treatment of chronic diseases

摘要

Two case studies of agronomic biofortification of staple crops with micronutrients are presented, and the development and marketing of Se-biofortified wheat products is discussed. Agronomic biofortification is an important component of a food systems strategy to address widespread dietary deficiency in human populations, and proof-of-concept trials are proposed with micronutrient-deficient subsistence populations in China and Africa. The role of Se and various phyto-compounds against prostate cancer is briefly examined, to illustrate the importance of dietary components in risk reduction and control of an important chronic disease, the incidence of which is likely to increase with increasing consumption of a 'Western diet' by men of the expanding middle-class in many developing countries.