About this Research Topic
In contemporary society, consumers increasingly recognize the connection between food consumption and its impact on health. Growing evidence suggests that specific components in food can positively influence physiological processes throughout one's lifespan. Foods rich in bioactive compounds play a crucial role in preventing chronic diseases by engaging in specific biological activities. Plant-based products, being the most widely consumed globally regardless of cultural, geographical, or economic factors, are particularly significant. Consequently, enhancing the nutritional properties of new plant-based food products can significantly enhance public health. The term "biofortification" or "biological fortification" refers to the development of a food crop with increased nutritional compounds using various approaches such as agronomic practices (e.g., fertilization, plant growth-promoting soil microorganisms), conventional breeding, or biotechnological techniques.
Several factors have constrained research efforts focused on enhancing nutritional quality traits. Qualitative traits are typically quantitatively inherited, and there is a lack of fundamental knowledge about the metabolism of certain compounds, given the intricate interactions within numerous metabolic pathways. In addition to the nutritional benefits of biofortification, sensory analysis is also an essential aspect of the development of new plant-based food products. Sensory evaluation provides valuable information on the overall quality traits, such as acceptability, and palatability of food products by measuring sensory attributes such as color, texture, flavor, and aroma. Sensory analysis could also help in identifying the optimal harvesting time for fruits and vegetables, which could lead to further improvements in nutritional quality. The extended juvenile phase in many fruit tree species contributes to the prolonged breeding process. External factors such as natural disasters, environmental stress, and pathogen attacks further complicate plant breeding, potentially leading to yield losses or even the loss of new individuals.
Traditional breeding, while effective, faces challenges such as linkage drag and a restricted gene pool limited to sexually compatible plants. However, New Breeding Techniques (NBTs) offer promising alternatives to classical methods, enabling the regulation of key nutrients more rapidly and precisely. It's important to note that the public and regulatory concerns associated with genetic engineering approaches currently limit their widespread adoption, highlighting the need for further research and exploration in this area.
Given these challenges, this Research Topic aims to encourage the exploration and sharing of novel methodologies and technologies for plant biofortification and quality traits. The goal is to expand the initial gene pool variability, streamline breeding processes, and facilitate the incorporation of desired traits in the new progeny.
The Research Topic is designed to attract original manuscripts (research articles and reviews are welcome) that can significantly contribute to the advancement of knowledge and application of biofortification methodologies of fruit and vegetables. Any contribution regarding the knowledge of bioactive compounds metabolism and their possible management through different tools will fit with the scope of the Research Topic. Results deriving from the application of different methodologies aimed at the biofortification of fruits and vegetables, both increasing the number of nutritional molecules and reducing the toxic/allergens compounds, will be of great interest to this collection, potentially leading to groundbreaking discoveries and advancements in the field. This Research Topic also welcomes contributions that include sensory analysis as part of their methodology, as it is crucial to ensure that biofortified fruits and vegetables not only provide health benefits but also meet consumer expectations regarding taste and texture.
Several factors have constrained research efforts focused on enhancing nutritional quality traits. Qualitative traits are typically quantitatively inherited, and there is a lack of fundamental knowledge about the metabolism of certain compounds, given the intricate interactions within numerous metabolic pathways. In addition to the nutritional benefits of biofortification, sensory analysis is also an essential aspect of the development of new plant-based food products. Sensory evaluation provides valuable information on the overall quality traits, such as acceptability, and palatability of food products by measuring sensory attributes such as color, texture, flavor, and aroma. Sensory analysis could also help in identifying the optimal harvesting time for fruits and vegetables, which could lead to further improvements in nutritional quality. The extended juvenile phase in many fruit tree species contributes to the prolonged breeding process. External factors such as natural disasters, environmental stress, and pathogen attacks further complicate plant breeding, potentially leading to yield losses or even the loss of new individuals.
Traditional breeding, while effective, faces challenges such as linkage drag and a restricted gene pool limited to sexually compatible plants. However, New Breeding Techniques (NBTs) offer promising alternatives to classical methods, enabling the regulation of key nutrients more rapidly and precisely. It's important to note that the public and regulatory concerns associated with genetic engineering approaches currently limit their widespread adoption, highlighting the need for further research and exploration in this area.
Given these challenges, this Research Topic aims to encourage the exploration and sharing of novel methodologies and technologies for plant biofortification and quality traits. The goal is to expand the initial gene pool variability, streamline breeding processes, and facilitate the incorporation of desired traits in the new progeny.
The Research Topic is designed to attract original manuscripts (research articles and reviews are welcome) that can significantly contribute to the advancement of knowledge and application of biofortification methodologies of fruit and vegetables. Any contribution regarding the knowledge of bioactive compounds metabolism and their possible management through different tools will fit with the scope of the Research Topic. Results deriving from the application of different methodologies aimed at the biofortification of fruits and vegetables, both increasing the number of nutritional molecules and reducing the toxic/allergens compounds, will be of great interest to this collection, potentially leading to groundbreaking discoveries and advancements in the field. This Research Topic also welcomes contributions that include sensory analysis as part of their methodology, as it is crucial to ensure that biofortified fruits and vegetables not only provide health benefits but also meet consumer expectations regarding taste and texture.
Keywords: breeding, biotechnology, agronomic practice, nutritional quality, bioactive compounds, sensory analysis, taste, texture
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.
