Amylose, Tocopherol, Free Sugar and Fatty Acid Content in Selected Mutant Lines of Oryza sativa cv. Shindongjin

To assess the potential as biofortified rice varieties, new endosperm and grain mutant lines were selected from $M_4$ generation seeds of the rice cultivar Shindongjin, which were either $\gamma$-irradiated or treated with N-methyl-N-nitrosourea(MNU) and lipid, sugar, and tocopherol content were analyzed. Amylose content in non-waxy mutants ranged from 8.8% in SM-4, a dull-type mutant, to 29.5% in SM-51, compared to 18.9% in the parental variety, Shindongjin. SM-23, a floury-type mutant, contained 0.09 ${\mu}g/g$ $\alpha$-tocopherol(40.9% of total tocopherol), was three times higher than in the parental variety. SM-32, a giant embryo-type mutant, had a 2.2-fold higher total tocopherol content, 2.1-fold higher $\alpha$-tocopherol, and 5.5-fold higher $\delta$-tocopherol content(47.3% of total tocopherol) than the parental variety(0.13 ${\mu}g/g$). Total free sugar content was elevated in all selected mutants and 1.2-8.6 times higher than in the parental variety(11.38 ${\mu}g/g$). These increased sugar levels were due to increase in sucrose concentration. SM-23(floury-type mutant) and SM-51(high amylose-type mutant) had 4.6 and 7.0 times more sugar, respectively, than the parental variety(11.38 ${\mu}g/g$). With relatively high concentrations, most mutants showed elevated fatty acid content in the SM 32(giant embryo-type) and SM-51(high amylose-type) mutants, at 124.56 and 89.59 mg/g, respectively. All selected mutants displayed valuable characteristics for the development of new varieties in rice-breeding programs.