Shankar, A.G.SHREESHAIL, BETAGERI2018-05-302018-05-302017-08-16Th-11789http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810048142Cereals are the major staple food crops worldwide and particularly rice in most of the asian countries. To meet the food demand due to population explosion researchers mainly focused on yield aspect during the green revolution and subsequent years. In the last two decades, nutritionists have brought to light the importance of micronutrients and anti-nutritional factors present in the food grains of humans and animals. Micronutrients play vital role in the metabolism, healthy growth and development. Phytic acid, acts as anti-nutritional factor by tightly binding with mineral nutrients forming a phytate complex and affecting bioavailability of mineral nutrients in the human diet. In the present study an attempt was made to study the nutritional composition and seasonal variation in zinc, iron, calcium, phosphorous and anti-nutritional factor, phytic acid in 54 commonly cultivated rice varieties. Initially, seeds were procured from Indian Institution of Rice Research (I.I.R.R), Hyderabad and analyzed nutritional composition (Zn, Fe, Ca, and P) and anti-nutritional factor (phytic acid) in dehusked grains. Results showed significant variability in nutritional composition and anti-nutritional factor in the rice varieties. Further, all the varieties were cultivated in kharif and rabi in 2016 at GKVK, UAS, Bengaluru. The results indicate that nutritional composition and antinutritional factor varied in greater extent between two consecutive seasons due to influence of environmental factors and soil nutritional status. RT-PCR study revealed the expression levels of Zn transporters in low and high Zn varieties. Hence, genetic and environmental interactions plays a vital role in nutritional status in rice varieties.ennullThesis