Agronomic mineral biofortification to enhance the nutritional value of vegetables: a review

Vegetables are the cornerstones of a healthy diet as they provide important phytochemical substances such as antioxidants, fibres, vitamins, and minerals. Biofortification represents a promising strategy to increase the content of specific compounds. Given the significant roles that minerals play in human metabolism, the possibility of enriching fresh produce, like many vegetables, through specific agronomic approaches has been considered. This review presents the latest findings on agronomic biofortification of vegetables, aimed at increasing the content of important minerals in edible parts. So far, attention has focused on the biofortification of Se and I, while for other mineral elements (e.g., Ca, Mg, Fe, etc.), aspects related to vegetable type, genotypes, chemical form, and applicative protocols are yet to be defined. However, while agronomic fortification is perceived as a readily implementable strategy, its execution entails complexity due to the diverse interplays within the crop ecosystem, alongside the varying availability of minerals to consumers. In light of this, merely a handful of investigations extensively tackle both the formulation of biofortification methodologies and the measurement of the accessible portion of the elements.