Abstract

Here we named silicon (Si) as “multitalented micronutrient”. Silicon plays important role in inducing biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in plants. The transport of Si from soil has been studied in detail by numerous research groups and a number of Si transporter genes have been identified in different crop plants. However, there is still a need to mine potential candidate proteins and metabolites, altered due to the application of Si. Research on the impact of Si in animals is still in its infancy, but its impact on bone formation and remedy for osteoporosis has been examined in detail. In this review, we provide an updated-information on the role of Si in plant and animal physiology and metabolism. We also present our views on how OMICS-based approaches can elucidate the role of Si in understanding its involvement in the physiology and metabolism of crops and animals.

Keywords: Animals, bioavailability, crops, foods, multitalented micronutrient, nutrigenomics, OMICS, proteomics, silicon, transporter genes