Analysis Strategy for Assisted Selection of Rice Eating Quality by Using Starch Properties

Abstract

Abstract Background Eating quality is the main factor affecting the commodity value of commercial rice. However, its determination relies on sensory evaluations, which require large samples, are easily influenced by subjective factors and are time consuming. In order to make the determination of eating quality more efficient, a set of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) obtained from the hybridization of indica and japonica rice was used as the test material to analyze the relationship between starch characteristics and the eating quality (EQ) score, from sensory evaluation. An implementation protocol was proposed for starch assisted-selection of eating quality. Results Among the RILs, the values of the measured parameters for amylose content (AC), trough viscosity (TV), final viscosity (FV), breakdown (BD) and setback (SB) were significantly correlated with the EQ values ​​obtained by sensory evaluation. The RILs with higher EQ scores, generally had low AC, TV, FV and SB, but high BD. By normalizing and summing the AC, TV, FV, SB and BD indicators, a comprehensive indicator—viz., the starch properties quality (SPQ)—was established, to assess starch quality. The SPQ value was better correlated with EQ than any of the individually measured parameters, suggesting that the model is valid. This method requires much smaller rice samples than sensory evaluations, i.e., three grams of milled rice flour. Conclusions Therefore, the SPQ indicator is a rapid, objective and convenient technique for the rapid assessment of rice eating quality in a large number of crossbreeding progeny, especially early-generation progeny, from which only small samples of rice grains are available.