Total phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant capacity in rice grain and their relations to grain color, size and weight

Total phenolics, flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacity from a wide collection of rice germplasm were measured, and their relations to grain color, grain size and 100-grain weight were investigated. Highly significant genotypic differences were observed in total phenolics, flavonoid contents and 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ehylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) radical cation antioxidant capacity. They displayed an increasing order in the white rice, red rice and black rice, yet several white rice had higher phenolics and flavonoids contents than the red rice. Significant positive pair-wise correlations were found among the phenolics, flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacity, and the coefficient between the phenolic contents and antioxidant capacity was extremely high (r = 0.96). Among all rice accessions, the grain color parameters had negative correlations with the phenolics, flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacity (p < 0.001). The negative correlation between a* and antioxidant capacity, and the positive correlation between H° and antioxidant capacity were consistent within the respective white rice and red rice groups. Flavonoid contents had positive correlation with grain length and length to width ratio, and had negative correlation with the 100-grain weight among all rice accessions. It was also found that 100-grain weight still had negative correlations with phenolics, flavonoid contents and antioxidant capacity within the white rice genotypes. These relationships may serve as indexes to indirectly select breeding lines high in the phenolics, flavonoids and antioxidant capacity. Principal component analysis including the information for phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant capacity, grain color parameters, grain size and 100-grain weight extracted five principal components that explained 83.7% of the total variances. The results of this study may provide new opportunities for rice breeders and eventually commercial rice growers to promote the production of rice with enhanced nutritional quality.