Exploring the genetic diversity within traditional Philippine pigmented Rice

Mathematical modeling to predict rice's phenolic and mineral content through multispectral imaging

Over half the world population relies on rice for energy, but being a carbohydrate-based crop, it offers limited nutritional benefits. To achieve nutritional security targets in Asia, we must understand the genetic variation in multi-nutritional properties with therapeutic properties and deploy this knowledge to future rice breeding. High throughput, VideometerLAB spectral imaging data has been effective in estimating total anthocyanin content, particularly bound anthocyanin content, using the high prediction power of partial least square (PLS) regression models. Multi-pronged nutritional properties of phenolic compounds and minerals, together with videometerLAB features, were utilized to develop models to classify a collection of black rice varieties into three distinct nutritional quality ideotypes. These derived models for black rice diversity panels were created utilizing videometerLAB data (L, A, B parameters), selected phenolic types (total phenolics, total anthocyanins, and bound flavonoids), and minerals (Molybdenum and Phosphorous). Random forest and artificial neural network models depicted the multi-nutritional features of black rice with 85.35 and 99.9% accuracy, respectively. These prediction algorithms would help rice breeders strategically breed nutritionally valuable genotypes based on simple, high-through-put videometerLAB readings and a small number of nutritional assays.

The Potential of High-Anthocyanin Purple Rice as a Functional Ingredient in Human Health

Purple rice is recognized as a source of natural anthocyanin compounds among health-conscious consumers who employ rice as their staple food. Anthocyanin is one of the major antioxidant compounds that protect against the reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cause cellular damage in plants and animals, including humans. The physiological role of anthocyanin in plants is not fully understood, but the benefits to human health are apparent against both chronic and non-chronic diseases. This review focuses on anthocyanin synthesis and accumulation in the whole plant of purple rice, from cultivation to the processed end products. The anthocyanin content in purple rice varies due to many factors, including genotype, cultivation, and management as well as post-harvest processing. The cultivation method strongly influences anthocyanin content in rice plants; water conditions, light quantity and quality, and available nutrients in the soil are important factors, while the low stability of anthocyanins means that they can be dramatically degraded under high-temperature conditions. The application of purple rice anthocyanins has been developed in both functional food and other purposes. To maximize the benefits of purple rice to human health, understanding the factors influencing anthocyanin synthesis and accumulation during the entire process from cultivation to product development can be a path for success.

Status of Bioactive Compounds from Bran of Pigmented Traditional Rice Varieties and Their Scope in Production of Medicinal Food with Nutraceutical Importance

Consumption of pigmented rice as a staple food is rapidly increasing due to their healthy prospective and considered as functional food ingredients. Greater interest has been shown in many color rice varieties due to their multiple biological activities. The phenolic compounds have been found to consist of anthocyanidins, ferulic acid, diferulates, anthocyanins and polymeric proanthocyanidins. Anthocyanin is located in the bran layers of the rice kernel, while phenolic acids are mainly present in the bran layers of rice, existing as free, conjugated and bound forms. Keeping in view the several health benefits associated with the functional ingredients, such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidative and anticancer effects, pigmented rice is considered as a functional food and food ingredient in many Asian countries. The application and incorporation of bran into food products for the preparation of functional foods is increasing. Within the scope of this review, we highlighted the significant bioactive compounds from pigmented rice varieties and their potentials for medicinal and nutraceutical ingredients. The information provided from this could be of high benefit to the functional food industry and further research advance medicinal products.

Conserving genetic resources for agriculture: economic implications of emerging science

New challenges have arrived for the conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. Increased pressure on the environment, including the added threat of climate change, has had adverse effects on biodiversity and agricultural systems. Emerging science and new technologies have at the same time altered the scope of possibilities for collection, conservation, and utilization of genetic resources for agriculture. Taken together, these changes imply a need for a refocusing of global strategies for the management of genetic resources for agriculture. This paper argues that simple theoretical models provide relatively little guidance for key questions about genebank management. The fundamental uncertainty of scientific possibility and global futures makes it challenging – and perhaps futile – to attempt economic valuation of gene banks. A more useful application of economic tools will be in the prioritization of collection and conservation. Economic analysis may also offer useful insights into the efficient management of genetic resources.