Exploring the grain quality of the pigmented rice from Mizoram, India for its use as foods, food products and in breeding programs

Abstract

Thirteen pigmented varieties from Mizoram were analysed based on their physical properties, eating and cooking qualities, physicochemical properties and genetic diversity index. The optimal cooking time ranged from 18mins to 32mins, lowest in Idawhmui and highest in Asenhmui. Majority of the cooked grains had a soft, moist and sticky texture, with a strong aroma that is preferred by number of consumers. The pasting property and gelatinization behaviour of these landrace showed its functional uses in number of culinary aspects. An important detail in rice grain quality evaluation is its breeding potential, which can be attributed to its genetic makeup. The genetic analysis showed genetic diversity ranging from 0.1316 (Kawleng) to 0.549 (Farelsen). The microsatellite markers AMs, CBG, GPA, RM11 and RM410 contained between 2 to 9 alleles, with high PIC value of 0.73, 0.983, 0.711, 0.791 and 0.877 respectively. Thus, the pigmented landrace of Mizoram exhibited high-quality grade, making it suitable for everyday consumption, food industry, culinary applications, export markets, and as a potential parents in rice breeding programs.