Quality Evaluation of Ready-to-Use Various Brown Rice (Oryza sativa) Powder Using Extrusion Process.

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Nutritional Science
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Extrusion processing offers a method for creating ready-to-use rice powders, potentially reducing cooking times.
• Brown rice varieties possess diverse physicochemical properties and bioactive compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of extrusion on the physicochemical characteristics, antioxidant capacity, and anti-calcium oxalate crystal formation activity of eight brown rice varieties.
• To differentiate rice varieties based on aroma profiles and rheological properties.

Main Methods:

• Physicochemical analysis (moisture content, water activity, water absorption index, swelling power, viscosity).
• Aroma profiling using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and k-means clustering.
• Assessment of antioxidant activity and inhibition of calcium oxalate crystal formation.

Main Results:

• Extruded rice powders exhibited moisture contents of 6.55-7.32% and water activity values of 0.43-0.49.
• Glutinous rice showed higher water absorption and swelling power; PCA analysis grouped rice varieties by aroma.
• Colored rice varieties demonstrated significant antioxidant activity and high inhibition of calcium oxalate crystal formation (40.03-58.71%).

Conclusions:

• Extrusion processing effectively preserves the nutritional and bioactive components of brown rice powders.
• Different brown rice varieties possess distinct physicochemical and bioactive properties influenced by extrusion.
• Extruded brown rice powders, particularly from colored varieties, hold potential for use in functional food applications.