Study on the optimal moisture adding rate of brown rice during germination by using segmented moisture conditioning...

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Agricultural Science
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Brown rice germination is crucial for enhancing its nutritional profile.
• Traditional germination methods can lead to nutrient loss.
• Optimizing water addition is key to improving germination efficiency and beneficial compound accumulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the optimal moisture addition rate for brown rice germination.
• To introduce and evaluate a novel segmented moisture conditioning technique.
• To maximize gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content and germination rate in germinated brown rice.

Main Methods:

• Development of a segmented moisture conditioning method involving three stages of water addition.
• Utilizing response surface methodology to investigate the impact of moisture addition rates on GABA content and germination rate.
• Comparative analysis against traditional soaking methods.

Main Results:

• Optimal parameters for segmented moisture conditioning identified: Stage I at 1.06%/h, Stage II at 1.42%/h, and Stage III at 1.31%/h.
• Achieved a germination rate of 91.33%, a 7.45% increase compared to the soaking method (84.97%).
• Significantly increased GABA content to 29.03 mg/100g, more than double that of the soaking method (12.81 mg/100g).

Conclusions:

• Segmented moisture conditioning is an effective technique for enhancing brown rice germination and GABA accumulation.
• This method minimizes water-soluble nutrient loss during germination.
• The segmented moisture conditioning technology shows promise for application in the processing of other cereals.