Efficacy or Effectiveness of Zinc-Biofortified Staples in Improving Biomarkers of Zinc Status: A Systematic Review
Year: 2025
Type: review
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: CONTEXT: Zinc-biofortified staple crops offer a potentially cost-effective and sustainable approach to address zinc deficiency in low- and middle-income countries. Scientists have developed and released several zinc-biofortified staple crops varieties globally and assessed their efficacy in improving biomarkers of zinc status. However, there are inconsistencies in result across the studies. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present research was to systematically explore the existing literature to assess the efficacy of zinc-biofortified staple crops in improving zinc status. DATA SOURCES: We performed a comprehensive literature search using 5 electronic databases: SCOPUS, Medline, CINAHL, Embase, and Web of Science, focusing on randomized controlled trials reporting the efficacy of zinc-biofortified staple crops in improving zinc status. The initial search was conducted during April 14-16, 2024, with an updated search on April 8, 2025. The protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42025603758). DATA EXTRACTION: In this review we identified 1869 articles from the 5 databases, with 1068 studies screened for title and abstract. Full-text review was conducted on 20 articles, and the 7 were ultimately included for this review based on eligibility. RESULTS: Among the 7 studies included in the review, only a crossover study reported an increase in plasma zinc at the midpoint, which was abolished at the endpoint. One study reported improvement in infection-related morbidity, while another reported increased hair zinc. Exploration of the included studies revealed several methodological issues, such as not adjusting plasma zinc for inflammation and ignoring loss of zinc during cooking, as well as overlooking the potential treatment effect of habitual intake of zinc and its bioavailability. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma zinc concentration remains largely unaffected by consumption of biofortified staple crops. Further research addressing the abovementioned limitations are crucial to determine the efficacy of zinc-biofortified staple crops in improving the zinc status of populations. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO registration No. CRD42025603758.
Source: Nutrition Reviews
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $4,981
OpenAlex ID: W7117888488