Biofortified Futures: Mechanisms Governing Micronutrient Content and Bioavailability in Plant Foods

Plant nutrition research occupies a pivotal role in global efforts to address micronutrient deficiencies, which remain widespread despite significant advances in agriculture and food systems. Essential micronutrients such as iron, zinc, selenium, and various vitamins are critical for human health, yet their concentrations and forms within staple plant foods often do not suffice for optimal dietary intake. The physiological and metabolic processes that dictate the uptake, transport, chemical speciation, and accumulation of these nutrients in plant tissues are finely regulated and subject to both genetic and environmental influences. Recent developments have improved our understanding of the complex networks and molecular drivers determining micronutrient movement and bioavailability within plants, but large gaps persist in translating this knowledge to consistently deliver more nutritious crops. Key questions remain regarding how specific physiological mechanisms control micronutrient delivery to edible tissues, how these processes are modified by external factors, and how the interplay of plant metabolism and bioavailability influences human nutrition.This Research Topic aims to deepen our understanding of the biological, chemical, and physiological processes underlying micronutrient behavior in plants, positioning this knowledge as foundational for enhancing nutrient delivery to consumers. The central goal is to unravel the mechanisms governing the uptake, internal distribution, speciation, storage, and bioavailability of micronutrients, capturing insights that can ultimately guide strategies for improved plant nutrition and human health. By focusing on the intricacies of nutrient fate from root uptake to edible product, this initiative seeks to answer fundamental questions about plant micronutrient physiology and highlight how such insights may inform applications such as biofortification or nutritional enhancement.The scope of this Research Topic spans mechanistic and integrative investigations into plant micronutrient acquisition, transport, partitioning, and transformations, considering both fundamental discovery and translational perspectives. Biofortification is addressed as one important application, while the focus remains on plant-based processes and their impacts on nutritional outcomes. To gather further insights in this interdisciplinary arena, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- Molecular and physiological mechanisms of micronutrient uptake and translocation in plants- Factors regulating micronutrient speciation, chemistry, and storage within plant tissues- Plant-microbe and soil-plant interactions affecting nutrient bioavailability and assimilation- Approaches for enhancing micronutrient delivery to edible plant parts and improving human absorption- Environmental, agronomic, and metabolic drivers of nutrient fate and efficiency- Analytical advances in tracing and quantifying plant micronutrients and their bioavailable forms- Translational research linking plant nutrition processes to food quality and human health outcomes Topic editors: Ju-Chen Chia, Marija Polić Pasković, Maria Ligia De Souza Silva, Flávio José Rodrigues Cruz Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/77458/biofortified-futures-mechanisms-governing-micronutrient-content-and-bioavailability-in-plant-foods