The importance of thiamine (vitamin B ₁) in plant health: From crop yield to biofortification

Abstract

Ensuring that people have access to sufficient and nutritious food is necessary for a healthy life and the core tenet of food security. With the global population set to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, and the compounding effects of climate change, the planet is facing challenges that necessitate significant and rapid changes in agricultural practices. In the effort to provide food in terms of calories, the essential contribution of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) to nutrition is often overlooked. Here, we focus on the importance of thiamine (vitamin B ₁) in plant health and discuss its impact on human health. Vitamin B ₁ is an essential dietary component, and deficiencies in this micronutrient underlie several diseases, notably nervous system disorders. The predominant source of dietary vitamin B ₁ is plant-based foods. Moreover, vitamin B ₁ is also vital for plants themselves, and its benefits in plant health have received less attention than in the human health sphere. In general, vitamin B ₁ is well-characterized for its role as a coenzyme in metabolic pathways, particularly those involved in energy production and central metabolism, including carbon assimilation and respiration. Vitamin B ₁ is also emerging as an important component of plant stress responses, and several noncoenzyme roles of this vitamin are being characterized. We summarize the importance of vitamin B ₁ in plants from the perspective of food security, including its roles in plant disease resistance, stress tolerance, and crop yield, and review the potential benefits of biofortification of crops with increased vitamin B ₁ content to improve human health.