About this Research Topic
Diversification of the global agricultural and food system, especially the food crops, is important to mitigate the hunger crises. Crops diversity is the foundation of sustainable agriculture, enabling it to evolve and adapt to meet the never-ending challenge of sustainably producing sufficient and nutritious food for an increasing population. Characterization of the various crops, especially underutilized and new crops, in terms of the crops' phenotyping nutritional (trait-specific germplasm) and anti-nutritional profiles is required. There are many antinutrients (phytic acid, oxalic acid, tannins etc.) available in the plants hindering the absorption of the minerals in the body. There is a need to screen the crops for the presence of these anti-nutritional compounds at levels above the permissible limit. Crop-morphological characterization (phenotyping) could also provide new insights into the newer sources of nutrition. Crops rich in iron, zinc, calcium, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, proteins, oils, etc., should be identified and promoted by incorporating these directly into the national food basket and through govt. policies. Furthermore, high-yielding climate-resilient crops, adapted to changing environments; that are economically viable could provide affordable nutrition to the masses.
The aim of this Research Topic is to collate novel research on the phenotyping and nutritional characteristics of food crops.
This Research Topic welcomes submissions on the following topics but not limited to:
1. Exploring Unique Attributes of Emerging Food Sources.
2. Unveiling the Potential of Neglected Food Components and Their Diverse Utilizations.
3. Enhancing the Appreciation of Time-Honored Culinary Traits (Traditional Food).
4. Transforming Agricultural Residues into Valuable Resources: Identification and Utilization of Bioactive Compounds)
5. Phenotyping and nutritional characterization of food crop plants.
6. Nutritional and anti-nutritional profiling of crops for trait-specific germplasm discovery and their health effects.
7. In-silico characterization of nutritional and anti-nutritional genes, transcripts, and modeling of bioactive proteins and compounds.
8. Nutrition and environmental sustainability of crops and their market trend analysis.
9. Functional biochemistry of crop nutrients.
10. Analytical techniques and protocols for nutritional profiling
11. Health benefits: in vitro and in vivo studies.
12. Application of biotechnology, computational biology, and bioinformatics for the nutritional profiling of crops
13. Methodologies to promote nutrient-rich crops
Keywords: Crops, Nutrition, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Food technology, Human health
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.