Molecular insights on the origin and development of waxy genotypes in major crop plants

Sorghum starch: Composition, structure, functionality, and strategies for its improvement

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is increasingly recognized as a resilient and climate-adaptable crop that holds significant potential to enhance global food security sustainably. Compared to other common cereal grains, sorghum boasts a more diverse nutritional profile. The starch component accounts for more than 80% of total sorghum grain weight. Sorghum starch functionality and diverse industrial applications are determined by its physiochemical properties, including pasting, gelatinization, retrogradation, texture, and digestion kinetics. This review provides a comprehensive evaluation of the morphology, minor composition, crystalline structure, fine molecular structure, and structure-function relationships of sorghum starch. It further explores how these properties can be optimized through chemical, physical and enzymatic modifications to extend the applications of sorghum starch. Additionally, the review highlights the role of key enzymes in the biosynthesis of sorghum starch and discusses how biological modifications, enabled by advanced genetic and molecular breeding strategies, can modify starch quality. This review also provides a foundation for developing tailored sorghum varieties with enhanced starch properties that can expand applications of sorghum both in food and non-food industries, potentially contributing to global food security and sustainable agriculture.

A comparative study of grain quality and physicochemical properties of premium japonica rice from three typical production regions

Grain quality indicates rice commodity value. This research compared grain quality and physicochemical properties of premium japonica rice from three production regions, Yangtze River downstream of China (YRDCN), Northeast region of China (NECN) and Japan. Results showed that there were distinct quality and physicochemical characteristics variance among the three groups of japonica rice, while CVs of most quality parameters from low to high was Japan, YRDCN and NECN. YRDCN rice presented obvious lower apparent amylose content (AAC) and ratio of each chain-length sections of amylopectin, and showed higher protein contents especially glutelin and ratio in short and intermediate amylopectin molecules. Among three rice groups, YRDCN rice presented weaker appearance, whereas did not show inferior cooking and eating properties, which was primarily linked to lower AAC. Rice AAC and starch fine structure significantly correlated with pasting parameters, swelling power and solubility, while protein content had close relation with taste analyzer parameters. Results of this study indicated improvement direction for japonica rice of YRDCN, and also provided reference for consumers' rice purchasing selection in accordance with individual taste preference.

Crop Evolution of Foxtail Millet

Studies on the domestication, genetic differentiation, and crop evolution of foxtail millet are reviewed in this paper. Several genetic studies were carried out to elucidate the genetic relationships among foxtail millet accessions originating mainly from Eurasia based on intraspecific hybrid pollen semi-sterility, isozymes, DNA markers, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Most studies suggest that China is the center of diversity of foxtail millet, and landraces were categorized into geographical groups. These results indicate that this millet was domesticated in China and spread over Eurasia, but independent origin in other regions cannot be ruled out. Furthermore, the evolution of genes was reviewed (i.e., the Waxy gene conferring amylose content in the endosperm, the Si7PPO gene controlling polyphenol oxidase, the HD1 and SiPRR37 genes controlling heading time, the Sh1 and SvLes1 genes involved in grain shattering, and the C gene controlling leaf sheath pigmentation), and the variation and distribution of these genes suggested complex patterns of evolution under human and/or natural selection.