Balancing the double-edged sword effect of increased resistant starch content and its impact on rice texture: its genetics and molecular physiological mechanisms.

Resistant starch (RS) is the portion of starch that escapes gastrointestinal digestion and acts as a substrate for fermentation of probiotic bacteria in the gut. Aside from enhancing gut health, RS contributes to a lower glycemic index. A genome-wide association study coupled with targeted gene association studies was conducted utilizing a diverse panel of 281 resequenced Indica rice lines comprising of ~2.

Improving Rice Dietary Fibre Content and Composition for Human Health.

Soft textured rice is the major source of calories in the diet of most South East (SE) Asian countries. However, it is most often consumed after polishing which removes the bran and embryo and hence most of the vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre (DF) are lost. Consequently, white rice comprises over 90% starch with only trace amounts of DF and is rapidly digested in the human gastrointestinal tract, resulting in a high glycaemic index (GI).

Diversity of global rice markets and the science required for consumer-targeted rice breeding.

With the ever-increasing global demand for high quality rice in both local production regions and with Western consumers, we have a strong desire to understand better the importance of the different traits that make up the quality of the rice grain and obtain a full picture of rice quality demographics. Rice is by no means a 'one size fits all' crop. Regional preferences are not only striking, they drive the market and hence are of major economic importance in any rice breeding / improvement strategy.