Tricin levels and expression of flavonoid biosynthetic genes in developing grains of purple and brown pericarp rice

The methylated flavone tricin has been associated with numerous health benefits, including reductions in intestinal and colon cancers in animal models. Tricin is found in a wide range of plant species and in many different tissues. However, whole cereal grains, such as rice, barley, oats, and wheat, are the only food sources of tricin, which is located in the bran portion of the grain. Variation in tricin levels was found in bran from rice genotypes with light brown, brown, red, and purple pericarp color, with the purple pericarp genotypes having the highest levels of tricin. RNA-Seq analysis of developing pericarp and embryo samples of a light brown pericarp cultivar, Cocodrie, and a purple pericarp cultivar, IAC600, was done in order to compare the expression of genes involved in the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway.