Elemental Analysis of Popular Zinc Rich Rice Varieties using ESEM and ICP-OES

Swapan Kumar Tripathy* and Sambit Patra

Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, College of Agriculture, OUAT, Bhubaneswar-751 003 (India).

Corresponding Author E-mail: swapankumartripathy@gmail.com

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/bbra/2917

ABSTRACT: A comparative study was carried out for elemental composition of grains of eight popular rice genotypes. The Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) setup was used to explore type and quantity of surface elements in various layers of rice grains. The main constituents are carbon and oxygen, with elements like Al and Si being prominently found on the husk. Rice kernels serve as staple food. We found that the top surface layer of whole rice kernel is rich in carbon compared to oxygen, but oxygen content increased in the internal area of kernel (endosperm in broken kernel) in all test genotypes. Further, our ESEM results showed that the husk of grain consists of more elements than the seed part. Though most of the above rice varieties are Zn and/or Fe rich, the ESEM facility could not identify them. ICP-OES analysis revealed Nagina-22 and R-RHZ-7 as highly zinc and iron rich rice varieties respectively. The knowledge of elemental composition of husk and whole kernel may pave the way for their effective uses in biofortification programme and as such  for use as food, animal feed and industrial purposes.

KEYWORDS: Broken Kernel; Surface Elemental Composition; Whole Rice Grain; Whole Kernel; Zinc Rich Rice

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