Molecular Hydrogen Increases Quantitative and Qualitative Traits of Rice Grain in Field Trials.

Pengfei Cheng,Liqin Huang,Lingshuai Kong,Zhaolin Shu,Tong Zhang,Jun Wang,Julong Yu,Wenbiao Shen,Zhushan Zhao,Qing Yang,Wenjiao Zhu,Dedao Jing,Wang Lou

doi:10.3390/plants10112331

Pengfei Cheng, Liqin Huang + Show 11 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10112331

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Abstract

How to use environmentally friendly technology to enhance rice field and grain quality is a challenge for the scientific community. Here, we showed that the application of molecular hydrogen in the form of hydrogen nanobubble water could increase the length, width, and thickness of brown/rough rice and white rice, as well as 1000-grain weight, compared to the irrigation with ditch water. The above results were well matched with the transcriptional profiles of representative genes related to high yield, including up-regulation of heterotrimeric G protein β-subunit gene (RGB1) for cellular proliferation, Grain size 5 (GS5) for grain width, Small grain 1 (SMG1) for grain length and width, Grain weight 8 (GW8) for grain width and weight, and down-regulation of negatively correlated gene Grain size 3 (GS3) for grain length. Meanwhile, although total starch content in white rice is not altered by HNW, the content of amylose was decreased by 31.6%, which was parallel to the changes in the transcripts of the amylose metabolism genes. In particular, cadmium accumulation in white rice was significantly reduced, reaching 52% of the control group. This phenomenon was correlated well with the differential expression of transporter genes responsible for Cd entering plants, including down-regulated Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein (Nramp5), Heavy metal transporting ATPase (HMA2 and HMA3), and Iron-regulated transporters (IRT1), and for decreasing Cd accumulation in grain, including down-regulated Low cadmium (LCD). This study clearly showed that the application of molecular hydrogen might be used as an effective approach to increase field and grain quality of rice.

Highlights

Rice is typically milled from brown rice to white rice, the most-often consumed form of rice, and more than 3 billion people use rice as their main food, in Asian, South-American, and African countries [1]
Seed Morphology of Rice Crops Irrigated with hydrogen nanobubble water (HNW)
In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the application of HNW during the growth and development stage of rice could significantly increase the field and grain quantity of rice grains and white rice, but could improve qualitative characters, maintain nutrition ingredients, and alleviate accumulation of Cd of the white rice

Summary

Introduction

Rice is typically milled from brown rice to white rice, the most-often consumed form of rice, and more than 3 billion people use rice as their main food, in Asian, South-American, and African countries [1] Since it is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, biologically active compounds, and organic acids, rice is generally good for human health [2]. Rice normally appears to have more absorption of cadmium (Cd), a very toxic heavy metal caused by soil contamination and acidification, compared to other major cereal crops. This could result in the accumulation of Cd in rice grains exceeding the maximum permissible limit [3]. Avoiding excessive Cd accumulation in white rice and improving field and grain quality, especially breeding or producing low-amylose content rice, are important for consideration during rice production, and a challenge for scientific community

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