Ida Wenefrida, Herry S. Utomo and Steve D. Linscombe
Rice Research Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Louisiana, USA
Advancements in nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics have improved public knowledge of the importance of developing nutritional regimes for optimum fitness and health. Greater knowledge of the human genome and understanding the molecular basis for human health and genetic predisposition to certain diseases enable individuals to personalize their nutritional requirements. These recent advances together with worldwide accessibility to the most current information on nutrition and health have transformed and elevated the need for more nutritious food products. Non-GMO high yielding rice lines possessing improved protein content and better amino acid profiles have been successfully developed. A combination of potent mutagenic agents and sufficient genomic information has allowed the program to streamline product development through specific, oriented targets and direct identification of nucleotide changes associated with the new traits. Utilization of reverse and forward genetics in the target genes provided a framework for large-scale production of rice mutants. Since rice is a model crop, the technique can potentially be applied to other crops. High protein rice can provide the base for developing novel foods and fibers or nutrient-dense food products. It can also be tailored into functional foods to meet the needs for individuals with specific genetic traits. Rice feeds nearly half of the world's population and, therefore, enhancing rice nutritional quality is of a significant value.
Keywords: Rice, high protein, nutritional quality, nutritious food product, amino acids.