Improve Anthocyanin and Zinc Concentration in Purple Rice by Nitrogen and Zinc Fertilizer Application

Zinc (Zn) is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development, and anthocyanin is a secondary metabolite compound generally produced under stress conditions; both have benefits to human health. Rice is a staple food crop for most of the world's population, and purple rice is well known as a natural source of Zn and anthocyanins, but their stability depends upon many factors. This review focuses on the opportunity to increase Zn and anthocyanin compounds in purple rice grains via Zn and nitrogen (N) management during cultivation. Variation in grain Zn concentration and anthocyanin compounds is found among purple rice varieties, thus presenting a challenge for breeding programs aiming at high grain Zn and anthocyanin contents. Genetic engineering has successfully achieved a high-efficiency vector system comprising two regulatory genes and six structural anthocyanin-related genes driven by endosperm-specific promoters to engineer purple endosperm rice that can provide new high-anthocyanin varieties. Grain Zn and anthocyanin concentrations in rice can also be affected by environmental factors during cultivation, e.g., light, temperature, soil salinity and nutrient (fertilizer) management. Applying N and Zn fertilizer is found to influence the physiological mechanisms of Zn absorption, uptake, transport and remobilization to promote grain Zn accumulation in rice, while N application can improve anthocyanin synthesis by promoting its biosynthesis pathway via the use of phenylalanine as a precursor. In summary, there is an opportunity to improve both grain Zn and anthocyanin in purple rice by appropriate management of Zn and N fertilizers during cultivation for specific varieties.