High-throughput measurement methodologies for developing nutrient-dense crops

With the development of nutrient-dense crops comes the need for analytical methodologies to enable rapid and accurate analysis of the micronutrients of interest. The analysis of provitamin A carotenoids (pVACs) and the minerals iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) are the focus of this chapter with the considerations and commonly employed methods discussed. When analyzing samples there are various considerations to minimise analyte degradation (in the case of provitamin A) and reduce possible contamination from external sources (for Fe and Zn). Spectroscopic and chromatographic analyses are the most common analysis approaches utilised when screening for carotenoids. Spectroscopic analyses including near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and iCheck are rapid and require minimal samples preparation and provide fast analysis times. The carotenoids present in the sample is dependent on the crop analyzed and resulting number and concentration of carotenoids present will impact the final decision on suitable analysis techniques. For example, in crops with high concentrations of non-pVACs, chromatographic analysis is necessary in order to accurately quantify the micronutrients.