Abstract
Iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) deficiencies affect over two billion people globally. Biofortification of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum), a crop that supplies approximately 20% of calories and protein consumed by humans worldwide, represents a sustainable strategy for increasing micronutrient intakes. We employed constitutive overexpression (OE) of an endogenous nicotianamine synthase gene (TaNAS2A) in bread wheat cultivar Gladius to increase biosynthesis of the metal-chelating molecule nicotianamine (NA). Field evaluation of three independent OE-TaNAS2A events found normal growth and consistently increased NA concentration in whole wheat flour relative to controls. Extracts prepared from whole wheat flours were functionally characterized in vivo (Gallus gallus) using the intraamniotic administration approach and alterations in markers of Fe and Zn transport, inflammation, and intestinal functionality and morphology were observed in treatment groups that received OE-TaNAS2A extracts.