Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a major staple food for the majority of the world population. Grown and harvested as paddy, it is present on our tables as white rice (milled), brown rice (dehusked) or, after being subjected to thermal processes, as parboiled rice. Recently, pigmented varieties are also appreciated (red and black rice). In this study, we evaluated proximate composition, polyphenol content and anti-inflammatory properties of Italian pigmented rice varieties and bran as well as white rice in different processed forms (milled, parboiled and integral), in order to assess the nutritional and antioxidant properties of Italian rice varieties and their capacity to reduce inflammation. Our results showed that pigmented rice varieties displayed high antioxidant capacity along with the highest flavonoid and polyphenol content. Anthocyanins were mainly present in black rice, whereas alkylresorcinols were found only in red rice. Rice bran proved to be particularly rich in carotenoids. The evaluation of the anti-inflammatory properties using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mouse RAW 264.7 macrophages pre-treated with extracts obtained from integral, black, red rice and bran showed that the expression of inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase (iNOS) was specifically reduced at both transcript and protein level by extracts, indicating the capacity of rice extracts to modulate the inflammatory response.
The characterization of ten Italian rice varieties has been carried out by chemical analysis which requires the use of more or less sophisticated equipment and of technicians trained to the application of analytical methods. Beside this type of analysis, defined as "traditional", it is carried out a descriptive evaluation of the samples from a sensory point of view. Descriptive analysis is a new experience in the evaluation of Italian rice that allows describing and quantifying the sensory properties of the different varieties. As with traditional analysis the calibration of instruments is fundamental and the choice of the adequate analytical method, so the equipment for sensory analysis is the basic choice of assessors who will be part of the panel and their training. Ten heterogeneous varieties of Italian rice have been characterized both from a traditional point of view, namely, chemical, physical and textural (length and width, gel-time, resistance to extrusion, stickiness, amylose content), and sensory, involving a panel of selected, chosen and trained tasters. The analytical data will then be compared in order to bring out similarities and differences. It appears that there is agreement between the sensory analysis and the chemical physical and textural characterization of milled rice. The sensory characterization undoubtedly provides a more complete and accurate information than the instrumental one.
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