TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwan-Swiss team has developed a new strain of rice that contains three to four times the vitamin B1 compared to normal rice.

The team included researchers from National Chung Hsing University (NCHU), University of Geneva, and ETH Zurich, per CNA. The findings were published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal on March 27.

Department of Plant Sciences Professor Teresa Fitzpatrick from the University of Geneva specializes in the biosynthesis and degradation pathways of vitamins in plants. Fitzpatrick, who led the team, said the research focused on increasing the vitamin B1 content in rice embryos through a process called biofortification.

As most vitamins cannot be produced by the body, they must be supplied by the diet, per myScience. Rice, as a staple crop for half the world’s population, loses up to 90% of its vitamin B1 through polishing.

After undergoing biofortification, the seeds were planted in an experimental field at NCHU’s Agriculture Experimental Station, where the team conducted multiple field trials on the rice varieties. 

After the rice was fully grown, traits such as stalk height and grain weight were the same as unmodified rice. Furthermore, the improved varieties had increased vitamin B1 content in their rice embryos by three to four times without affecting yield.

Previously research was conducted in greenhouse conditions, but this time, experiments were conducted under real field conditions, and the improved gene expression was stable with no negative impact on traits.

Biotechnology Center Professor Wilhelm Gruissem from NCHU said that 300 grams of this biofortified rice can provide one-third of the recommended daily intake of vitamin B1 for adults.