Comparison of physicochemical properties and starch structure of red rice and cultivated rice

Sixteen red rice accessions from the southern United States were studied for their physical, milling, pasting, and thermal properties, chemical composition, and starch fine structure relative to cultivated medium- and long-grain rice varieties. All red rice samples were medium-grain, but their physicochemical properties were different from those of Bengal, a cultivated medium-grain rice. Their apparent amylose and crude protein contents were generally higher, and their amylopectin structure consisted of a higher percentage of the shorter branch chains (DP6-24) and a lower percentage of the longer branch chains (DP25-65). Red rice starch pasting and thermal properties were similar to those of Wells, a long-grain rice cultivar. The red rice samples can be classified into two major clusters according to their kernel properties by hierarchical cluster analysis: one cluster with more resemblance to Wells and another cluster with more resemblance to Bengal. Starch structure and kernel physicochemical properties may offer an alternative way of classifying red rice in addition to phenotypic and genetic indices.