Journal of Taiwan Agricultural Research

Author:Yi-Ju Shih, Toong-Long Jeng, Tong-Hai Tseng and Chang- Sheng Wang*

Abstract:

    Colored rice has the characteristic of coloration in the pericarp of rice grains. There are many colored rice in rice germplasm. The pigments of colored rice are mainly located at the pericarp or seed coats of rice grain and are anthocyanin pigments. Anthocyanins are plant unique phenolic compounds derived from flavonoid biosynthetic pathway. The red cyanidins, orange pelargonidin, and purple-blue delphinidin are three major anthocyanins, which are reported to have anti-oxidative activity on lipid and scavenge activity on removing free radical. Therefore, they are considered to be good for human health. The results of HPLC analyses showed that the cyanidin-3-glucoside and peonidin-3-glucoside are two major anthocyanins in the pericarp of black rice, however, the brown rice pericarp contains proanthocyanins as the major pigments. The results of animal tests using pigments from bran layer of colored rice demonstrated that the anthocyanins can relief the atherosclerotic plaque disease of mouse and rabbit through decreasing the cholesterols accumulation, oxidative stress and inflammation. It seems that colored rice can be used as health food. Further study on the utilization value of rice grain on human health is likely to be highly rewarding.

Key words:Rice, Colored rice, Anthocyanins, Proanthocyanidin, Anti-oxidative activity

Download: PDF Links