Differences in physicochemical properties of kernels of two rice cultivars during grain formation

BACKGROUND: Rice varieties with similar apparent amylose content may have different grain qualities. The development of rice quality is a dynamic process that occurs with the formation of rice kernels. In this study, physicochemical properties during the grain formation period were investigated to interpret differences in grain quality between two non‐waxy rice cultivars, Wuyujing3 and 30you917, with similar apparent amylose content. RESULTS: There were significant differences in dynamic changes in 1000‐grain weight, amylose content and pasting and thermal properties during grain formation of the two cultivars. The difference in their apparent amylose contents from 5 days after anthesis (DAA) to 15 DAA was significant, except in the late grain‐filling stage. Wuyujing3 showed a slower increase in 1000‐grain weight than 30you917 from 10 to 25 DAA. The transition temperatures (T_o, T_p and T_c) of developing grain flour of Wuyujing3 were higher than those of 30you917 during the grain formation period. Wuyujing3 showed greater stickiness (higher breakdown and peak viscosity and lower positive setback) than 30you917 according to Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) profiling. CONCLUSION: The results suggested that the differences in cooking and eating quality parameters of the two mature rices were determined by the differences in grain filling and the dynamic changes in the main rice quality components such as amylose content, grain weight and differential scanning calorimetry and RVA properties, which will help cultivators understand the physical basis of rice quality development. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Impact of cultivar variation in grain density of rice panicle on grain weight and quality

BACKGROUND: In the last two decades, newly released rice cultivars in southeastern China have been mainly characterised by more grains per cm panicle (GPCP), i.e. a compact panicle. These compact panicle cultivars show high yield potential but inferior quality. Accordingly, experiments were conducted to study the effect of GPCP on grain weight and quality. RESULTS: Two compact panicle and two loose panicle cultivars of japonica rice were used to investigate the effect of GPCP on the variation in grain weight and quality within a panicle. Significant differences in grain quality, including brown rice length, width and length/width ratio, brown rice and head‐milled rice percentages, chalky grain percentage and amylose and protein contents, were found among grains within a panicle. In general, the compact panicle cultivars showed lower grain weight and larger variation in brown rice length, width and length/width ratio, chalky grain percentage and amylose content among grains within a panicle than the loose panicle cultivars. CONCLUSION: GPCP is negatively associated with quality uniformity, and increasing the grain number on top secondary rachises may reduce the variation in grain weight and quality within a panicle. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Changes in kernel properties,in situ gelatinization,and physicochemical properties of waxy rice with inhibition of starch branching enzyme during cooking

The kernel properties, gelatinisation and physicochemical properties of rice were investigated in a waxy rice Guang-ling-xiang-nuo (GLXN) and its transgenic line GLXN-RNAi with inhibition of starch branching enzyme I/IIb. The volume swelling, water content and leached material of cooked kernels increased with increasing cooking time, but they were lower in GLXN-RNAi than in GLXN. The kernels of GLXN-RNAi were more difficultly gelatinised and disrupted than those of GLXN during cooking. The starch in the exterior of GLXN-RNAi endosperm was not completely gelatinised. The C_A-type starch of GLXN-RNAi was more resistant to cooking than A-type starch of GLXN. The cooked kernels of GLXN-RNAi had lower rapidly digestible starch and greater slowly digestible starch than those of GLXN. Brown rice flour had higher peak, hot, final and setback viscosities and lower breakdown viscosity in GLXN than GLXN-RNAi. These results indicated that GLXN-RNAi kernels exhibited great potential in applications as health foods.     

Genetic analysis of developmental behavior for amylose content in filling process of rice

Dynamic genetic effects for amylose content (AC) of indica rice were analyzed at four different filling times/stages using the genetic models for quantitative traits. The expression of triploid endosperm, cytoplasmic and diploid maternal plant genes were important for AC at different developmental stages of rice, especially at the early and middle filling stages. AC of rice was mainly controlled by the cumulative or net endosperm effects and their genotype × environment interaction effects, except at late filling stage which the net maternal effects were larger. The expression of genes at day 7, 14 or 21 after flowering was more easily influenced by the environmental conditions, while the genes' expression at mature stage of rice was stable. Breeding improvement could be achieved by selection for a better variety with a suitable AC because of the larger additive and cytoplasmic effects. The total narrow‐sense heritabilities for AC on days 7, 14, 21 and 28 after flowering were 78.9, 85.6, 80.1 and 70.2%, respectively. The interaction heritability was more important than the general heritability, except at the maturing time of rice. Significant genotypic correlations for AC were observed among developmental times of rice. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Determination of apparent amylose content,pasting properties and gel texture of rice starch by near‐infrared spectroscopy

For breeding rice with improved quality, apparent amylose content (AAC), rapid visco analyser (RVA) pasting viscosities and gel texture properties may be routinely measured. As a direct measurement is time‐consuming and expensive, rapid predictive method based on near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is useful for measurement of these quality parameters. In this study, calibration models were developed using modified partial least‐squares regression with different mathematical treatments based on the grain and flour spectra of non‐waxy rice alone or in combination with waxy rice. The results showed that calibration models built with flour spectra are more robust than those with grain spectra, and with total rice including waxy rice are superior to those with only non‐waxy rice. Some starch quality parameters, such as AAC, setback viscosity (SB), pasting temperature (PT), hardness (HD) and cohesiveness (COH) could be predicted with sufficient accuracy by NIRS based on flour spectra, whereas only AAC and PT could be predicted with sufficient accuracy based on grain spectra. All the models reported here are usable for rough sample screening (cold paste viscosity and breakdown viscosity), sample screening (SB, PT and COH) and for most applications (AAC and HD) for routine screening of a large number of samples in the early generation selection in breeding programs. However, for accurate assay of the pasting viscosity and gel textural parameters, direct instrumental measurement should be employed in later generations. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of Cd on the growth,dry matter accumulation and grain yield of different rice cultivars

Pot soil experiments showed that there were great variations among six rice cultivars in their tolerance to soil Cd stress, with respect to tillering, plant height, leaf area, dry matter accumulation and grain yield. Some cultivars were highly tolerant of Cd and showed little toxicity under high levels of soil Cd stress (100 mg kg^?1), while others were much more sensitive. Roots were not necessarily more sensitive than above‐ground parts, but the diversities among rice cultivars with regard to the relative changes in dry matter accumulation under soil Cd stress were greater in roots than those observed in straw and grain. The toxicity effects of Cd on rice growth and development lessened as plants grew and matured, indicating that rice plants show adaptation and growth compensation in response to soil Cd stress during prolonged exposure. The relative change in the number of grains per panicle showed a strong positive correlation with relative change in grain yield and, of the four grain yield components measured (panicles per pot; grains per panicle; filled grain percentage; weight per grain), it appeared to be the one most influenced by Cd stress. Thus the reduction of grains per panicle is the main cause of grain yield loss under soil Cd stress. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Phytochemicals and antioxidant capacities in rice brans of different color

Rice bran, a byproduct of the rice milling process, contains most of the phytochemicals. This study aimed at determining the concentrations of lipophilic, solvent-extractable (free), and cell wall-bound (bound) phytochemicals and their antioxidant capacities from brans of white, light brown, brown, purple, and red colors, and broccoli and blueberry for comparison. The concentrations of lipophilic antioxidants of vitamin E (tocopherol and tocotrienols) and γ-oryzanols were 319.67 to 443.73 and 3861.93 to 5911.12 μg/g bran dry weight (DW), respectively, and were not associated with bran color. The total phenolic, total flavonoid, and antioxidant capacities of ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity), DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging, and iron-chelating in the free fraction were correlated with the intensity of bran color, while variations of these in the bound fraction were less than those in the free fraction among brans. Compounds in the bound fraction had higher antioxidant capacity of ORAC than DPPH, relative to those in the free fraction. The bound fraction of light-color brans contributed as much to its total ORAC as the free fraction. Total proanthocyanidin concentration was the highest in red rice bran, while total anthocyanin was highest in purple brans. The predominant anthocyanin was cyanidin-3-glucoside. Red and purple brans had several fold higher total phenolics and flavonoids as well as ORAC and DPPH, from both free and bound fractions, than freeze-dried blueberry and broccoli. These results indicate that rice brans are natural sources of hydrophilic and lipophilic phytochemicals for use in quality control of various food systems as well as for nutraceutical and functional food application.