Colour based nutraceutical potential of some traditional rice (Oryza sativa L. ssp. indica) varieties of India

Consumption of unpolished grain, rather than polished grain has become a modern trend and consumers are mainly putting their thoughts and effort to consume products with more antioxidant capacity. Rice is the main staple food and apart from being considered as the main source of energy, it contains many nutraceutical properties because of its enriched secondary metabolites. This study is an effort to bring back the indigenous traditional rice landraces that almost disappeared from the farm fields after the advent of the Green Revolution in India. This article focuses on colour-based nutritional properties of six coloured and four non-coloured indigenous rice varieties based on antioxidant potential, total phenol and flavonoid content along with secondary metabolites profiling by high performance liquid chromatography. The biochemical uniqueness of these varieties has been explored that opens the gate for the conservation of more indigenous rice varieties for food security, as a cheap source of nutritional food and to construct a better niche for public health in developing country like India.