Lipid profiles in preliminary germinated brown rice beverages compared to non-germinated brown and white rice beverages

Authors: Beaulieu, John; Moreau, Robert; Powell, Michael; OBANDO-ULLOA, JAVIER - Costa Rica Institution

Submitted to: Foods
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/6/2022
Publication Date: 1/13/2022
Citation: Beaulieu, J.C., Moreau, R.A., Powell, M.J., Obando-Ulloa, J.M. 2022. Lipid profiles in preliminary germinated brown rice beverages compared to non-germinated brown and white rice beverages. Foods. 11(2):220. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11020220.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11020220

Interpretive Summary: There has been a re-invigorated health trend using sprouted whole grain products (bread flours, cereals and beverages), resulting in several new food and beverage products in the marketplace. With plant-based healthier nutrition in consumer’s minds, national and worldwide consumption and production of plant-based beverages are overtaking the beverage industry. Globally, the plant-based beverage market is forecast to surpass $34 B ($U.S.) by 2024 and according to the Information Resources Institute, U.S. plant-based beverage sales had a 6.2% increase in one year, through 2019, attaining 1.7 B ($U.S.). Germinating brown rice is known to generally increase several health-promoting compounds, yet many novel products lack scientific evaluation relating to physicochemical and quality attributes. Brown rice is nutritionally superior to white rice but oils and rancidity can be problematic regarding organoleptics during processing and storage. In response to increasing consumption of plant-based beverages, brown rice was sprouted using green technologies developed at the USDA ARS in New Orleans, including food-grade enzymes for making value added rice beverages. Rough ‘Rondo’ rice was de-hulled, sorted, germinated and beverages produced. The germinated (sprouted) brown rice beverage was compared against the non-germinated brown and white brewers rice beverages using the same methodology. Germinated brown rice beverage contained significantly higher concentrations of total lipids, diacylglycerols, triacylglycerols, free sterols, phytosterol esters and oryzanols than both non-germinated brown and white rice beverages. White rice beverages had significantly higher free fatty acids. Significant lipid losses occurred during sieving yet, the novel germinated brown rice beverages contained significant amounts of valuable health-beneficial lipids, which appeared to form natural emulsions. Further characterization using modified methods that capture all previously documented sieving losses, and pilot plant scale-up and pasteurization, should position this advantageous green processing methodology to deliver 100% natural, no additives, value-added germinated rice beverages. The germinated brown rice beverage method has low inputs, requires relatively simple and inexpensive equipment, and is applicable for both germinated brown and colored rice varieties. This is important industrially and economically considering the burgeoning plant-based beverage market and industries desire to capture more non-animal protein and health-related attributes, especially from an agronomically inexpensive crop, like rice. Developing plant-based beverages with cheap input ingredients with proven heath-beneficial attributes will have positive economic impact.

Technical Abstract: Brown rice is nutritionally superior to white rice yet oil rancidity can be problematic during processing and storage regarding sensory attributes. Germinating brown rice is known to generally increase several health-promoting compounds. In response to increasing consumption of plant-based beverages, we sprouted unstabilized brown rice, using green technologies and saccharification enzymes for value-added beverages. ‘Rondo’ paddy rice was dehulled, sorted, germinated and beverages were produced and compared against non-germinated brown and white brewers rice beverages. Germinated brown rice beverage contained significantly higher concentrations of total lipids, diacylglycerols, triacylglycerols, free sterols, phytosterol esters and oryzanols than both non-germinated brown and white rice beverages. White rice beverages had significantly higher free fatty acids. Significant lipid losses occurred during sieving yet, novel germinated brown rice beverages contained significant amounts of valuable health-beneficial lipids, which appeared to form natural emulsions. The processing regime will be adjusted to address sieving losses and scaled-up for pasteurization.