Assessment of Advanced Breeding Lines of Rice (Oryza sativa L.) for Nutritional and Nutraceutical Grain Quality Characteristics

The current rice breeding programs concurrently aim to meet the demand for high-quality and nutritionally enriched rice, targeting both local and international markets. The objective of this study was to develop advanced breeding lines (ABL) of rice with better nutritional and nutraceutical properties. Nine ABLs were developed by a cross of At 405/Pokkali following modified bulk method. Selected nine ABLs at F₁₀ generation and parents were analyzed for grain quality characteristics. Considering crude protein content (CPC), total dietary fiber (TDF), total polyphenol content (TPC), proanthocyanidin content (PAC), and radical scavenging activity (RSA), the accession Pokkali was significantly better performing than the variety At 405. However, crude fat content (CFC) and crude fiber content (CFBC) of both Pokkali and At 405 performed similarly. Therefore, considering the nutritional and nutraceutical aspects, the results indicated that Pokkali can be considered as an elite accession, compared to At 405. The pigmented ABL GQ13 reported a higher CFC, TDF, TPC, PAC and RSA compared to other ABLs. Similarly, pigmented ABL GQ10 reported a higher CFC, CFBC, TDF, TPC, PAC and RSA while non-pigmented ABL GQ09 reported a higher CPC, CFC and TDF among the evaluated ABLs. The ABLs GQ13, GQ10, and GQ09 either outperformed or comparable to the better parent, Pokkali. Therefore, the results suggested that these ABLs GQ13, GQ10 and GQ09 could be strongly recommended for further evaluation to apply for the rice breeding programs targeting improvements of nutritional and nutraceutical grain quality.