ABSTRACT
The amino acid composition of the total protein of the rice grain is generally characterized by a higher lysine content and lower glutamic acid content in comparison with other cereals. The changes in the amino acid composition due to development of the rice kernel were also investigated. The prolamin fraction of rice, like prolamins of other cereals, may be separated into different components. The high molecular weight storage protein of rice is the most important protein in the rice kernel. The high-protein rice cultivars have advantages from the point of view of nutrition. The rice grain consists of an edible portion, the rice caryopsis, and its covering structures, the hull and the husk. Osborne’s classification of proteins based on solubility has been widely used in rice protein chemistry. The success in variety identification of other cereals based on gel electrophoresis spectra of prolamin proteins has stimulated research on biochemical identification of rice varieties.
