Integrated Biochemical Analysis of Red Rice (Oryza sativa L.): Unveiling Nutritional and Functional Attributes

The present study evaluates the physicochemical and nutritional characteristics of red rice varieties collected from different districts of Himachal Pradesh namely Shimla, Kullu, Chamba and Kangra, each representing distinct geographical locations. There were significant differences in the physicochemical and nutritional characteristics of varieties. Grain size classifications showed that Chhohartu, Matali, Jattoo, Karad, Jhinjhan and Kaluna were short, whereas Gocha, HPR-2720 and HPR-2795 were medium. Grain shapes were medium in Chhohartu, Karad, Jhinjhan, HPR-2720 and HPR-2795, while Matali, Jattoo, Kaluna, and Gocha were bold. Amylose content ranged from 18.27% (Karad) to 25.17% (Chhohartu). The proximate composition indicated that Jattoo (13.67%) had the highest moisture content, whereas Kaluna (3.56%) showed the highest ash content. Protein content was high across all the varieties ranging from 8.66% (Jhinjhan) to 13.89% (Gocha). Jhinjhan (402.2 mg/kg) showed the highest iron content, while Karad (83.6 mg/kg) had the lowest. The highest zinc content was observed in Kaluna (46.55 mg/kg) while Matali (32.35 mg/kg) had the lowest. The significant negative correlation was observed between carbohydrate and protein (r= -0.810^**), energy and moisture (r = -0.877^**), and a moderate negative correlation between energy and ash (r = -0.711^*), indicating that higher moisture and ash content in red rice varieties correspond to lower energy content. The current research demonstrated that the variations observed in these characteristics are influenced by environmental factors across the different geographical regions.