The growing global challenges of food insecurity posed by climate change, and micronutrient deficiencies have intensified interest in climate resilient, nutrient-dense functional foods. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is a promising candidate owing to its exceptional nutritional profile and adaptability to harsh agroecological conditions. This review provides a comprehensive and critical synthesis of existing literature on the agronomic management, nutritional composition, and functional food potential of purslane, with particular emphasis on its omega-3 fatty acid content and the role of nitrogen and mineral nutrition. The review reveals that purslane is a rich source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), vitamins (C and E), carotenoids, minerals, and diverse bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its nutritional quality is highly variable and influenced by genotype, environmental conditions, cultivation systems, and nutrient management strategies. Nitrogen plays a dual role of enhancing biomass production while exerting complex, compound-specific effects on nutrient density, often leading to trade-offs between yield and quality. The novelty of this study lies in its integrated, multi-dimensional perspective that links agronomy, plant physiology, and nutritional science, moving beyond fragmented analyses in existing literature. It highlights the importance of genotype-by-environment interactions and introduces the concept of “nutritional efficiency” as a more appropriate framework than yield-focused optimization. This study contributes to knowledge by identifying critical gaps and proposing a systems-based approach for optimizing purslane as a sustainable, plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids and functional nutrients, particularly in resource-constrained and climate-vulnerable regions.
The rapid expansion of global aquaculture and increasing demand for sustainable protein sources have intensified the search for alternatives to conventional fish meal. Wolffia globosa, the smallest and fastest-growing flowering plant, has emerged as a promising yet underutilized aquatic resource with significant potential in aquaculture nutrition and sustainable food systems. Despite growing interest in aquatic plant-based proteins, comprehensive evaluation of W. globosa across nutrition, cultivation, and application systems remains limited. This review synthesizes current knowledge on its biology, nutritional composition, functional properties, and application potential in aquaculture and circular bioeconomy systems. W. globosa exhibits rapid vegetative propagation, high biomass productivity, and minimal resource requirements, enabling efficient cultivation in nutrient-rich environments. It contains high-quality protein (20–48% dry weight), essential amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and diverse bioactive compounds with antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties. Feeding studies demonstrate its potential to enhance growth performance, feed efficiency, and physiological health in aquatic species. Additionally, its capacity to absorb nitrogen and phosphorus supports nutrient recycling and water quality improvement in integrated aquaculture systems. However, variability in nutrient composition, limited large-scale cultivation data, insufficient long-term feeding trials, and uncertain economic feasibility at industrial scale remain key challenges for its commercial adoption. Overall, W. globosa represents a promising but still developing biomass resource with strong potential to reduce dependence on fish meal while supporting environmentally efficient aquaculture and future food systems. Future research should focus on optimizing cultivation practices, developing efficient processing technologies, and validating long-term feeding performance to facilitate its large-scale adoption.
S. Rajesh, Nitesh Kumar Yadav, J. Angom et al.· Aquaculture Journal· 0 citations
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) microgreens have emerged as nutrient-dense functional foods with significant potential to address malnutrition, lifestyle-related disorders, and the growing demand for sustainable diets. Rich in vitamins, minerals, flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds, they demonstrate diverse bioactivities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anticancer, and cardioprotective effects. Their short growth cycle, minimal input requirements, and adaptability to hydroponic and vertical farming systems further position them as resource-efficient crops for future food security and for space cropping. Despite these advantages, challenges such as limited shelf life, microbial contamination, lack of standardized post-harvest practices, and low consumer awareness restrict their large-scale commercialization. This review consolidates current knowledge on the nutritional, functional, and therapeutic relevance of wheat microgreens while exploring optimized growing conditions, biofortification strategies, genetic improvement, and post-harvest management to enhance phytochemical accumulation and nutritional quality. Advances in omics technologies, marker-assisted selection, and genome editing tools such as CRISPR/Cas9 are opening new avenues for improving resilience, delaying senescence, and tailoring nutritional traits. Parallel developments in minimal processing, modified atmosphere packaging, edible coatings, and smart packaging systems offer promising solutions to extend freshness and ensure food safety. In addition, the economic and environmental benefits of wheat microgreens highlight their potential in premium markets and sustainable farming models, including controlled-environment agriculture and technologies like digital twins. By integrating nutritional science, biotechnology, and food system perspectives, this review identifies key challenges and opportunities to position wheat microgreens as a sustainable, health-promoting superfood for future diets.
DUAL-purpose legumes have attracted growing interest as nutrition-sensitive crops that can increase ongoing protein and micronutrient shortages in vegetarian and mixed diets worldwide. Species like cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), gar den pea (Pisum sativum), french bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), lablab bean (Lablab purpureus), broad bean (Vicia faba) from the Fabaceae family taken as fresh vegetable or dried grain link horticulture and agriculture nutritionally. Their everyday dietary role along with low cost and flexibility across agro-ecosystems make them strong options for micro nutrient delivery. Recent data on biofortifying these legumes and prioritizing iron and zinc while exploring selenium, iodine, and boron. It evaluates traditional breeding using genetic variation, agronomic methods like foliar fertilizers, and advanced tools such as marker-assisted selection and genome editing to raise nutrient levels. Focus is placed on absorption barriers, like phytates, and how breeding aligns with dietary benefits. The results of variety development and feeding experiments indicate that enriched legumes can increase intake in a material manner and benefit low resource populations without relying on pills or processed foods.The problems associated with this are however lim ited genetic diversity of some traits and environmental effects on uptake. The review identifies gaps, such as more bioavailability studies, and proposes embedding biofortified legumes in climate-adaptive, nutrition-focused systems. Ultimately, this approach offers a lasting, diet-based path to curb hidden hunger and bolster food security globally.
Kaukutla Srinidhi, A. Sankari, H. U. Nandhini et al.· Genetics and Molecular Resea...· 0 citations
Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) is the most widely cultivated millet species worldwide and a staple cereal for tens of millions of people across the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa. Its exceptional tolerance of drought, heat and poor soils, combined with a favourable nutrient profile, has renewed international interest in the crop as a climate-resilient contributor to food and nutrition security. This review synthesises current evidence on the global production landscape, agronomic and genetic characteristics, nutritional composition, bioactive and functional properties, antinutritional constraints, and traditional and emerging processing technologies applied to pearl millet. The grain provides appreciable quantities of protein, dietary fibre, iron, zinc and phenolic compounds, and its low to moderate glycaemic index and gluten-free nature position it favourably for managing metabolic disorders and coeliac-related dietary restrictions. However, the nutritional value of pearl millet is constrained by antinutritional factors, principally phytic acid, tannins and goitrogenic C-glycosylflavones, and by a short shelf life associated with rapid lipid rancidity. Processing interventions, ranging from traditional dehulling, soaking, germination and fermentation to modern extrusion, malting and non-thermal technologies, substantially modulate nutrient bioavailability, sensory quality and storage stability, although trade-offs between nutrient retention and antinutrient reduction remain incompletely resolved. Biofortification and genomics-assisted breeding programmes have made measurable progress in raising grain iron and zinc density and in improving abiotic stress tolerance. This review identifies persistent knowledge gaps in genotype-by-environment interactions affecting nutritional quality, in vivo bioavailability data, and the scalability of novel processing technologies, and proposes priority directions for future research and value-chain development.
Avaneesh Tripathi, Neetu Singh, Madhvi Daniel et al.· Journal of Advances in Food...· 0 citations
Hidden hunger refers to micronutrient deficiencies affecting nearly two billion people globally, especially in regions dependent on calorie-rich but nutrient-poor staple diets. Legumes, termed as the "poor man's meat" for their high protein content and low cost, are critical for enhancing nutritional security in resource-limited communities. This review emphasises agronomic biofortification as a rapid, promising and versatile strategy for enhancing essential micronutrients, particularly iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se), in legume grains. It discusses different agronomic strategies such as soil and foliar fertilisation, seed priming and biological interventions. Unlike conventional breeding and genetic methods, which require longer to develop, these agronomic techniques can increase nutrient density within a single cropping cycle. It also focuses on the scope of agronomic biofortification and addresses its challenges related to nutritional bioavailability, notably the inhibitory effect of anti-nutritional factors such as phytates and discusses strategies to enhance nutrient absorption through promoter compounds. Furthermore, emerging technologies such as nanotechnology and precision agriculture are recognised as promising innovations to enhance nutrient use efficiency (NUE) and ensure environmental sustainability. Overall, agronomic biofortification provides a sustainable pathway to combat micronutrient malnutrition and this approach requires integration with genetic advancements and supportive agricultural policies for its long-term success.
R. Vijayaprathipa, T. Parthipan, T. Ramesh et al.· Plant Science Today· 0 citations
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