Phytonutrients analysis in ten popular traditional Indian rice landraces (Oryza sativa L.)

Antioxidant potentials of native indigenous landraces of rice have been of great interest in the last decade, since a positive correlation of reduced chronic diseases due to consumption of rice has been established. Hence, the study focused on the analysis of phytonutrients in ten traditional rice landraces, such as in three pigmented (Mapillai samba, Kala namak and Iluppai poo samba) and seven non-pigmented (Poongar, Seeragasambha, Karnal, Kuzhiyadichan, Madumuzhungi, Salem sannam and Kitchili samba) varieties collected from different parts of India. Till date, there is no study on analyzing the phytonutrients in these traditional Indian rice landraces. The phytochemical analysis indicated Mapillai samba rice had highest vitamin E content (26.73 ± 0.49 µg/g), whereas Kala namak rice showed highest phenolic content (43.19 ± 0.54 mg/g). The total flavonoid and anthocyanin contents were again highest in Kala namak 7.18 ± 0.52 mg/g and Mapillai samba 42.21 ± 0.28 mg/g respectively. The antioxidant properties and reducing power of the ten rice landraces were analyzed, among them Kala namak rice showed significantly higher antioxidants levels, inhibition of lipid peroxidation and reducing power. These results suggest that traditional land races possess higher vitamin E content and phytonutrients required to combat chronic diseases associated with their deficiencies. Among the varieties of rice tested, Kala namak pigmented rice variety had comparatively higher levels of vitamin E content and antioxidant potential. Hence, the pigmented traditional rice landraces can be used as a source of phytonutrients and it warrants conservation to preserve its precious genome information.