Minerals profile and nutraceutical factors in landraces and hybrid varieties of rice: A comparison

Abstract

Growing concerns about food security and human health make the identification of beneficial nutritional traits in crops a priority. The aim of the present study was to compare the elemental and nutritional characteristics of landraces and hybrid rice varieties. Landraces, valuable for their biodiversity, are a source of genes that can improve elite varieties and ensure food security. We were able to demonstrate significant variations in elemental composition, especially for calcium, rubidium and selenium, between the two rice types. Pigmented rice varieties were found to be more functional, as they had higher levels of antioxidants such as phenolic compounds, flavonoids and anthocyanins. Statistical analysis using principal component analysis and agglomerative hierarchical clustering grouped the rice varieties into clusters. The results showed that 99.87% of the variance was within the class, and 0.13% was between classes. Many of the landraces studied had high levels of amylose, selenium and antioxidants. Landraces are thus an important source of nutraceutical factors and of high importance for rice improvement and breeding. The results of this study will certainly inform works into improving the dietary system and enable us to direct conventional plant breeding exercises or apply molecular techniques to develop new varieties to ensure on-going food security.