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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stuttgart, Arkansas » Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #134266
Title: IDENTIFICATION OF CAROTENE AS THE SOURCE OF YELLOW COLOR IN COLOR-REJECTED MILLED RICE

Author
item Miller, Helen
item Rutger, J

Submitted to: American Society of Plant Biologists Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/13/2002
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Rice endosperm has been bred to be white, absent of any carotenes. Nonetheless, off-color rice grains resulting from insect, fungal, or heat damage are regularly revealed during the milling process and rejected. These yellow- and other-colored grains were obtained from local rice mills. Carotene fluoresces but at a very low level. We used synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy to detect the presence of carotene in some dark yellow milled rice grains as well as in immature green rice and in the seed coat of a rice weed, red rice. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy has not previously been used for carotene measurement. The technique is non-destructive and sensitive, capable of quickly detecting the presence of carotene in a single rice grain. It is hoped that an understanding of the process by which rice naturally develops carotene will aid in the development of rice containing carotene which can provide vitamin A to parts of the world where children are suffering from vitamin A deficiencies.

Technical Abstract: The development of "golden rice" has spurred an interest in the carotene biosynthesis pathway in rice and in identifying a non-transgenic carotene-containing rice. Rice endosperm has been bred to be white, absent of any carotenes. Nonetheless, off-color rice grains resulting from insect, fungus, or heat damage are regularly revealed during the milling process and rejected. These yellow and other-colored grains were obtained from local rice mills. We used synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy to identify the occurrence of carotene in dark yellow milled rice grains as well as in immature green rice and in the seed coat of red rice. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy has not previously been used for carotene measurement. The technique is non-destructive and sensitive, capable of quickly detecting the presence of carotene in a single rice grain.