High Resistant Starch Rice: Variation in Starch Related SNPs, and Functional, and Sensory Properties

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Plant Genetics
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Diets high in resistant starch (RS) improve glycemic control.
• High amylose rice varieties possess elevated RS levels compared to low amylose types.
• Sensory and processing characteristics of high RS rice remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of Waxy and starch synthase II a (SSIIa) gene variants on RS content, RVA parameters, and cooked rice texture.
• To identify correlations between genetic haplotypes, RS levels, and sensory attributes in high amylose rice.
• To assess the influence of protein content on rice texture properties.

Main Methods:

• Utilized high amylose rice varieties with distinct Waxy and SSIIa gene haplotypes.
• Analyzed Rapid Visco-Analyser (RVA) parameters including peak and hotpaste viscosity.
• Evaluated 14 cooked rice texture properties and protein content.

Main Results:

• RVA parameters, particularly viscosity, differed among haplotypes, influenced by both genes.
• Setback from hotpaste viscosity was strongly correlated with RS content (r = -0.76 to -0.93).
• Cooked rice texture was more affected by Waxy than SSIIa; roughness correlated with RS (r = 0.46) and protein content (r = 0.49).

Conclusions:

• Genetic variations create diverse sensory profiles in high RS rice, appealing to global consumers.
• Processing quality is minimally affected by these genetic variations.
• Waxy and SSIIa gene haplotypes offer a means to tailor rice characteristics for specific market needs.