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Abstract Phytic acid and its metabolic intermediates have irreplaceable biological functions. Phytic acid is abundant in cereal grains and soilseeds such as maize and soybean. Phytic acid is an anti-nutritional factor, but it is also an important healthy factor for human. Knowledge about its synthesis and its functions is poorly understood yet, though we know its existence early. For the past few years, a few researches focusing on the metabolism of phytic acid have been reported. Breeders have selected a series of low phytic acid mutant lines in maize(Zea mays), soybean(Glycine max) and rice(Oryza sativa) for future research, which would meet the forage application to enhance the animals' nutrition and to reduce the phosphoric pollution. The earlier research implied that there were two phytic acid synthesis pathway in plants, the phosphatidylinositol dependent pathway and the phosphatidylinositol independent pathway. Direct proofs implied that the phosphatidylinositol independented pathway makes the main contribution to the seeds' phytate phosphorus accumulation. Maize is the main food and feed crop in China, focusing on the phytic acid's metabolism in maize is benefit to the bio-fortification and the health of the environment. Here, we describe the functions of phytic acid and the progress concerning its metabolism research; describe and analyze its pathway in plant; and review the previous research toward its metabolism, as an reference to the successive research.
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Received: 20 June 2012
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