Bioaccessibility mechanisms, fortification strategies, processing impact on bioavailability, and therapeutic potentials of minerals in cereals

Minerals are essential to our diet. They affect nerve and muscle function, build materials for our bones, and regulate the body's water balance. The bioaccessibility and bioavailability of cereal minerals depend upon various aspects, such as plant cell wall configuration, storage chemical form of a mineral, plant tissue localization, and processing conditions. Fortification of minerals is done through classical methods and agrobiotechnological techniques to combat micronutrient deficiencies and improve bioavailability. The recent innovative approaches (chelation and encapsulation) overwhelm issues associated with classical fortification methods, specifically those influencing bioavailability and organoleptic properties. Food processing techniques, such as fermenting, soaking, cooking, and germination, significantly improved mineral bioavailability by reducing phytic acid and other antinutritional factors. Minerals, particularly micro-ones, are lost irreversibly during food processing, and their losses can be reduced by changing the processing strategies. The current review explores minerals in cereals, their bioaccessibility, bioavailability, fortification strategies, the impact of food processing on bioavailability, and their therapeutic potential.