Genotypic diversity of bran weight of whole grain rice and its relationship with grain physical traits

Impact of rice variety, cooking equipment and pretreatment method on the quality of lightly milled rice

Lightly milled rice is a healthier choice compared to refined white rice. In this study, the effects of variety, cooking equipment and pretreatment method on the quality of six varieties of lightly milled rice from China after cooking was investigated through physics, chemistry and instrumental analysis method. Nanjing-No.5055 has the best eating quality, Xiadao-No.1 has higher appearance score, and Fengliangyouxiang-No.1 has the lowest glycemic index. Compared with microwave oven and electric cooker, steamer has a more significant positive impact on component retention, eating quality and sensory quality, but the former has lower cooking time and higher glycemic index. Soaking can effectively improve the water absorption rate, thus reducing hardness. Cleaning affects component retention but is beneficial for sensory quality. The most obvious variation in organizational structure can be observed in the steamer and soaking processes. These findings could serve as a valuable reference for the processing of lightly milled rice.

How is auxin linked with cellular energy pathways to promote growth?

Auxin is the 'growth hormone' and modulation of its concentration correlates with changes in photosynthesis and respiration, influencing the cellular energy budget for biosynthesis and proliferation. However, the relative importance of mechanisms by which auxin directly influences photosynthesis and respiration, or vice versa, are unclear. Here we bring together recent evidence linking auxin with photosynthesis, plastid biogenesis, mitochondrial metabolism and retrograde signalling and through it we propose three hypotheses to test to unify current findings. These require delving into the control of auxin conjugation to primary metabolic intermediates, translational control under auxin regulation and post-translational influences of auxin on primary metabolic processes.