Rice experts found a low-sugar rice strain and improved it from Tainong 67 to low-sugar rice.

Rice is high in calories and belongs to high-sugar food. After eating rice and being digested by human body, blood sugar in the body will easily rise rapidly. For diabetic patients, only a small amount can be eaten. Professor Wang Johnson of the Department of Agronomy at National Chung Hsing University saw some of the population problems, and four years ago launched the development of low-sugar rice varieties, hoping to find rice that can be enjoyed by both diabetic patients and weight loss groups. At present, the research team has found several low-sugar rice varieties, and the results of mouse experiments conservatively estimate that the glycemic index status after eating can be significantly improved. It is expected that early next year, an application for plant variety rights will be submitted. After approval, it will be commercially cultivated and mass produced.

Diabetics can also eat white rice

60% of the world's population eat rice as a staple food, the main component of rice grains is starch, after eating rice, rice grains will eventually be digested into glucose, becoming one of the sources of calories, but daily consumption of rice belongs to high sugar (GI>55) food, diabetes patients and weight loss groups can not enjoy.

For diabetics, unstable blood sugar affects health. Is it possible to select rice from a large number of rice varieties that does not raise sugar quickly? Wang Johnson says that investing in the development of low-sugar rice is to enable groups that cannot eat rice, such as diabetics, to enjoy eating rice.

Last year, the Council of Agriculture promoted the internationalization and sustainable development plan of agricultural bio-economic industry, hoping to combine the research ability of experts to promote healthy agriculture for the problems of aging population, high medical cost and food safety. Therefore, Wang Qiangsheng and Liao Huifen, professor of the Department and Research Institute of Biochemical Science and Technology of National Chiayi University, and other units cooperated on "Development of Low Sugar Rice Varieties" to screen low sugar (low GI value) or high resistant starch.(Resistance starch, RS) Rice line, developed "low sugar healthy rice" variety as a rice food variety for diabetes patients and weight loss consumers.

The sugar content of improved Zitainong 67 decreased significantly.

In the global rice market, 80% of the population eats indica rice. Taiwan also mainly eats indica rice in the early stage. However, at present, japonica rice is the main food in China. Wang Johnson said with a smile that rice should be made first to meet the needs of the domestic people. Therefore, rice that meets the needs should be screened from the mutant bank of Tainong 67 established by himself, and low-sugar rice varieties of indica rice will be developed in the future.

The Tainong 67 mutant library that Wang Johnson is talking about is the result of his research in the Agricultural Laboratory in the past, among which there are more than 3000 pure rice lines. He smiled bitterly and said that this was the result of accumulation of blood and sweat, because rice was originally a high-sugar food, screening low-sugar rice is actually very difficult, because there are a large number of pure rice lines, can produce a lot of rice for analysis.

The research team screened more than 2000 varieties of rice, only to screen a few low-sugar rice. Wang Johnson said, Preparatory screening test has been done for three years, Through biochemical technology, Use enzymes to simulate the human body after chewing rice digestion mode, Such as stomach digestion, Intestinal absorption, etc., From which to determine starch by enzyme decomposition ability, Can not be decomposed for resistant starch, Must be high resistance is low sugar rice varieties, Each kind of rice has done more than three experiments, According to the mouse test results conservatively estimated, After eating sugar status can be significantly reduced.

And the number of chews.

The research team finally screened out several kinds of low-sugar rice, but the key experiment is just about to begin, Wang Johnson said, Rice with high resistant starch, Means rice into the esophagus after the digestibility is relatively poor, Eat up the taste is hard, Flavor is also worse than ordinary rice, So palatability must be considered into the experiment, Select the varieties that everyone can accept, Otherwise develop low-sugar rice, Bad taste still has no commercial value.

In addition to screening varieties and picking tastes, Wang stressed that even the number of mastications must be analyzed in detail."If you bite rice a few times, the situation will be different." Because the digestion of food is related to the chewing situation of the human mouth, you must find an instrument that simulates the chewing of the mouth, repeat the analysis of chewing times, and finally present the experimental results.

At present, the research team has mastered several varieties of low-glycemic rice and completed relevant animal experiments to determine that these strains have the potential for low glycemic increase. The next step will be to start human trials to observe the blood sugar status of human consumption.

The fastest application for variety rights this year, farmers planting barrier-free 

Wang Johnson said that the low-sugar rice varieties studied this time have considered market acceptance, of course, farmers planting conditions have also been taken into account, whether soil, fertilizer management, temperature and current Tainong 67 planting methods are no different, the experiment did not specifically determine whether low-sugar rice resistance to diseases and insect pests is particularly outstanding, but in recent years planting experience, there is no special difference.

"We expect to be able to file an application for plant variety rights for low-sugar rice this year, and if it is approved, it will soon be available on the market," Wang says. At present, small-scale mass production is being carried out, and many farmers are interested in cooperation. However, due to the fact that the variety rights have not yet been applied for or approved, it is temporarily impossible to cooperate with farmers. However, a future business model has been planned, which will start with seedling management and contracting, control the source of varieties, and maintain farmers 'good production quality.

relevant information

For more information about the results of this project, please contact Mr. He, Research Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Tel: 03-5185049, E-mail: 1072086@mail.atri.org.tw