Golden rice is a genetically modified variety designed to combat vitamin A deficiency (VAD) by synthesizing β-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A, in its grains. With 250 million preschool children affected by VAD globally, golden rice offers a promising solution as it can significantly enhance the vitamin A intake of populations reliant on rice as a staple food. Despite its potential, adoption in countries like Nepal faces challenges due to lack of infrastructure and public acceptance of genetically modified organisms.

1. Golden Rice and its approach to combat
Vitamin ‘A’ Deficiency (VAD)
Prepared By-
Ramkrishna Gautam
Roll no - 12
Date- 2075/11/02Image credit-https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/25/sunday-
review/golden-rice-lifesaver.html

2. Introduction
Vitamin A
 Fat-soluble vitamins, including retinol.
 Provide important nutrient for vision,production of RBC, growth,
reproduction, cellular differentiation and proliferation, and boost
immune system. (Al-Babili et al. 2005)
 Vitamin A is an essential nutrient in humans that cannot be
synthesized in the body. (Dubock 2014)

3. How big is Vitamin A Deficiency problem?
Deficiency symptoms
 Earliest symptoms- Night blindness
 Prolonged deficiency- Xerophthalmia, Keratomalacia,weakened
immune system.
 Finally infection - total and irreversible blindness.
 Increase disease susceptibility- Measles, Diarrhoea,malnutrition
Leading to child mortality.
(WHO report cited by Al-Babili et al. 2005)

4. Vitamin A Deficiency diseases.
1.Xerophthalmia
Source-
https://www.alodokter.com/xeroph
thalmia
3.Keratomalacia disease
Source-
http://healthonlinenow.blogspot.com/2009/07/keratoma
lacia.html?m=0
2.Xerophthalmia disease
Source-http://nutrilyf.com/2016/09/24/xerophthalmia-a-
major-eye-problem-found-in-india/

5. Vitamin A Deficiency diseases.
4. Measles
Source-
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/37135.p
hp
4. Malnutrition
Source-https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-
5005479/Malnourished-Syrian-baby-treated-rebel-held-
town.html

6. Causes of deficiency and Scenario
Causes
 Low consumption of diverse dietary source. (Paine et al. 2005)
 Chronic consumption of diets that are low in vitamin A results in vitamin
A deficiency (VAD) (Tang et al. 2012)
 Reliance on rice as a primary food staple contributes to vitamin A
deficiency.
Scenario
 A severe public health problem in 118 countries.
 250 million preschool children worldwide are still affected by VAD .
 5 Million Vit-A deficient children became blind every year.
(WHO report cited by Al-Babili et al. 2005)

7. Map showing Vitamin A deficiencies in preschool-age children around
the world. WHO Global Database 2005 on Vitamin A Deficiency
Source-https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/getting-enough-vitamin-probably-
half-world-isnt

8. Golden Rice
What is Golden Rice ?
 Genetically modified rice
 Synthesize β-carotene (provitamin A)
in the endosperm. (paine et al. 2005)
How golden rice- to combat vitamin A deficiency?
 Rice- staple food.
 Rice provides as much as 80% or more of the daily caloric intake of
3 billion people, which is half the world’s population (Tang et al.
2012)
 If grain can be enriched in Vitamin A, it helps to combat Vitamin A
Deficiency where rice is a major staples. (Al-Babili et al. 2005)
Source-https://www.thedailystar.net/city/wait-almost-
over-beta-carotene-rich-golden-rice-release-in-
bangladesh-1531684

9. Geranylgeranyl diphosphate(GGPP)
Phytoene
Lycopene
 -carotene(vitamin A precursor)
Phytoene synthase(PSY)
Phytoene desaturase
ξ-carotene desaturase
Lycopene-beta-cyclase(LCY)
Problems-
Rice lacks
these
enzymes
Problem in Rice
Chart- Normal ß-Carotene Pathway

10. Geranylgeranyl diphosphate(GGPP)
Phytoene
Lycopene
 -carotene
(vitamin A precursor)
Phytoene synthase(PSY)
Phytoene desaturase
ξ-carotene desaturase
Lycopene-beta-cyclase(LCY)
The Golden Rice- Solution
Daffodil gene
Single bacterial gene;
Erwinia uredovora
performs both functions
Vitamin A Pathway is complete and functional
-Carotene
Pathway
Genes Added
Source-
https://geneticlite
racyproject.org/20
18/03/18/golden-
rice-approved-for-
sale-to-canada-
but-no-plans-for-
imports/
Bacterial carotene
desaturase (CRTI)

11. How Does It Works?
 The addition of 2 genes in the rice genome will complete the
biosynthetic pathway
1. Phytoene synthase (psy) – derived from Daffodils
2.Bacterial Carotene desaturase (crtI) – from soil bacteria
Erwinia uredovora
 Produces enzymes and catalysts for the biosynthesis of
carotenoids (β-carotene) in the endosperm.
 Presence of β-carotene gives rice grains a yellowish-orange
color, thus, the name ‘Golden Rice’

12. Golden Rice Generations.
First Generation Golden Rice(GR1)
 It produces only 1.6 μg/g of β-carotene. (Al-Babili et al. 2005)
 This provide proof that β-carotene could be produced in rice
grain.
 With this proof, scientist develop the way to improve the
production and accumulation of β-carotene in the grain.

13. Golden Rice Generations.
Second Generation Golden Rice(GR2)
 In 2005, a team of researchers at biotechnology
company, Syngenta, produced a variety of golden
rice called "Golden Rice 2". (Al-Babili 2006)
 GR2 were developed by replacing psy gene from
daffodil by the same gene(psy) from maize. (Al-
Babili 2006)
 GR2 is more efficient for β-carotene accumulation
(31 μg/g ).
Source-
https://beyondpesticides.org/daily-
million-fine-syngenta-multiple-safety-
violations/syngenta-biotechnology/

14. Golden Rice Generations.
Image showing wild-type rice,Golden rice 1 with the psy from Daffodil
(Np psy),Golden rice 2 with the psy from maize psy (Zm psy) showing
altered color due to carotenoid accumulation.

15. Efficacy
Fig-Relation between vitamin A supply through golden rice and disease
level.
(Dubock 2014)

16. Clinical trials, food safety and nutrition
research
 “β-carotene derived from Golden Rice is effectively converted to
vitamin A in humans is a safe.” (Tang et al 2009)
 “ Golden Rice is as effective as vitamin A capsules and works better
than the natural beta-carotene found in spinach.” (Tang et al 2009)
 “The β-carotene produced by Golden Rice is as good as β- carotene in
oil at providing vitamin A to children.” (Tang et al 2012)

17. Conclusion
 In many countries, the infrastructure doesn’t exist to deliver vitamin A
pill. (Bayer 2010)
 Distribution of capsule- Consistent funding
 Diversification on food habit like eating variety of foods including
meat- costly for poor people.
 Since, alleviation of VAD is an urgent need for people who are taking
rice as their staple food due to non-availability of vitamins in its
edible part. Golden Rice could be a cheap, wide-reaching, sustainable
approach to fight against VAD. (Dubock 2014)

18. Prospects in Nepal
 Nepal is one of 60 countries in which the vitamin A deficiency
constitutes a significant public health problem.
 Each year in Nepal, vitamin A deficiency is responsible for the deaths
of 9000 children and for 2500 children becoming permanently blind.
8.5% of Nepalese children and 7% of pregnant women are suffering from
VAD induced disorders
Can Golden Rice minimize VAD induced problems in Nepal?
 Although rice is the staple food of Nepal, it is generally not eaten
alone.
 In context of Nepal, it is evident that the people who don’t have rice
based food habit occupy the larger portion of population affected by
VAD. Also, the large part of the affected population lives in
mountainous region where rice cannot be grown.
(Bista et. Al. 2017)

19. Prospects in Nepal
Can Golden Rice minimize VAD induced problems in Nepal?
 On the contrary, encouraging the production, distribution and consumption
of fortified maize would be easier for reducing VAD induced problems in
hilly region of Nepal.
 There is no any history of introduction of GMO’s in Nepal. Besides, there is
not even in-depth study conducted about farmers’ response towards
GMO’s. So, the adoption rate of Golden Rice in Nepal is highly
unpredictable.
 It is necessary to have knowledge about the perception of farmers and
consumers towards Golden Rice.
 The media response and public voices indicate that Nepalese society is
likely to turn out unwelcoming towards GMO’s, be it Golden Rice.
(Bista et. Al. 2017)

20. My Perspective
 The development of golden rice has opened an entirely
new horizon in the “modern breeding technology.”
 Golden rice helps to uplift the public health of developing
country.
 There is also a need of development of other biofortified
food in the public sector.

21. References
 Al-Babili and Beyer P. 2005. Golden Rice – five years on the road –
five years to go? TRENDS in Plant Science 10:565-573.
 Al-Babili, Hoa TTC, Schaub P. 2006. Exploring the potential of the
bacterial carotene desaturase CrtI to increase the β-carotene content
in Golden Rice. Journal of Experimental Botany 57:1007-1014.
 Bayer P. 2010. Golden Rice and ‘Golden’ crops for human nutrition.
New Biotechnology. 27: 375–379
 Bista V and N Acharya. 2017. Golden Rice and Its Prospects in Nepal.
Bulletin of Environment, Pharmacology and Life Sciences 6(1):266-268
 Dubock A. 2014.The Present Status of Golden Rice. Journal of
Huazhong Agricultural University 33(6):112-128

22. References
 Paine JA, CA Shipton, S Chaggar, RM Howells , MJ Kennedy, G
Vernon, SY Wright, E Hinchliffe, JL Adams, AL Silverstone & R
Drake. 2005. Improving the nutritional value of Golden Rice
through increased pro- vitamin A content. Nature Biotechnology
23: 482-487.
 Tang G, Y Hu, S Yin, Y Wang, GE Dallal, MA Grusak and RM Russell.
2009. Golden rice is an effective source of Vitamin A. American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition 89:1776-1783.
 Tang G, J Qin, GG Dolnikowski, RM Russell and MA Grusak. 2012.
β-carotene in Golden rice is as good as β-carotene in oil at
providing vitamin A to children. American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition 96:658-664.

23. Thank you
Source-http://www.goldenrice.org/