Conclusions
Rice is the staple food for half of the world’s
population, and improving the iron content and its
bioavailability in rice is one important approach to solve
iron malnutrition. Research mainly focused on the
physiological and molecular mechanisms of absorption,
transport and accumulation of iron and its forms in rice
seed. The related controlling genes, especially of iron
carriers, ferric reductive enzymes, and iron transporters,
have been identified and their functions have been
widely investigated under iron deficiency stress. Research
on iron bioavailability mostly focused on phytase
and cysteine. The ultimate objective is to enhance iron
content and bioavailability in rice seeds in order to
increase the absorption and utilization of iron in the
human body and to improve iron deficiencies. This
approach could also be applied to solve malnutrition
problems of other elements.