Physiological and molecular analysis of the secondary metabolites in rice grains collected from different regions of Meghalaya and Assam

• Published in: Cereal research communications 2024-03, Vol.52 (1), p.235-246
• Main Authors: Chettry, Upasna, War, Vionna Kaphie, Chrungoo, Nikhil Kumar, Pathak, Jyoti
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Life Sciences; Original Paper; Plant Breeding/Biotechnology; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plant Physiology
• ISSN: 0133-3720; 1788-9170
• DOI: 10.1007/s42976-023-00379-1

We carried out phytochemical and expression analysis of different secondary metabolic pathways from rice grains of NE region in order to identify and characterize elite rice varieties for conventional breeding or transgenic research from this region. Estimation profile of phenolic content in rice grains revealed variation not only among different cultivars but also within grains with same pericarp color. We observed the brown cultivars of rice showed the highest phenolic as well as AOAs, followed by the black cultivar. Estimation of β-carotene in the grains revealed low β -carotene in the grains of white rice (0.8 ± 0.0002 to 2 ± 0.0008 µg gm −1 ) and brown rice (1 ± 0.0030 to 4 ± 0.0020 µg gm −1 ). The highest level of β -carotene was detected in the grains of black rice containing 18 ± 0.0030 µg gm −1 . Our results clearly showed Klc Syndam to consist high amylose content followed by Alc Bonni, Alc Joha, Klc Black variety, Klc Inlain, Klc Umsning, Klc Raliang and Klc Sung. In addition, our investigation categorized Klc Kleng, Klc Black variety and Alc Joha to be aromatic rice, which is an economically important trait especially in culinary, making them desirable for the consumers. Expression profiling of genes involved in carotenoid, anthocyanin and aromatic pathway revealed a differential expression between the pigmented and non-pigmented cultivars. The expression of the carotenoid biosynthetic genes was highest in black rice. The flavonoid biosynthetic pathway showed differential expression. While the brown cultivar rice revealed higher expression of genes that lead to the synthesis of proanthocyanins, black rice showed higher expression of genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis.