Elemental mapping of biofortified wheat grains using micro X-ray fluorescence

•Elemental maps of biofortified wheat grains were obtained.•Metals show different transport mechanisms from the rachis to the grain structures.•Biofortified seed generations show an increase in tolerance to metal concentration.•We show the applicability of benchtop μ-XRF to heterogeneous biological tissues

Micro X-ray fluorescence has been used to obtain elemental maps of biofortified wheat grains. Two varieties of wheat were used in the study, Triticum aestivum L. and Triticum durum desf. Two treatments, with different nutrient concentration, were applied to the plants during the whole plant growth cycle. From the obtained elemental maps it was possible to extract information regarding the plant's physiological processes under the biofortification procedures. Both macro and micronutrients were mapped, providing useful insight into the posterior food processing mechanisms of this biofortified staple food. We have also shown that these kind of studies can now be performed with laboratory benchtop apparatus, rather than using synchrotron radiation, increasing the overall attractiveness of micro X-ray fluorescence in the study of highly heterogeneous biological samples.