AUTHOR=Bultum Lemessa Etana , Emire Shimelis Admasu , Tufa Lemma Teshome 

TITLE=Physicochemical characterization of microwave-stabilized rice bran oil from Ethiopian small-scale rice-processing plants

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Food Science and Technology

VOLUME=Volume 2 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/food-science-and-technology/articles/10.3389/frfst.2022.1011445

DOI=10.3389/frfst.2022.1011445

ISSN=2674-1121

ABSTRACT=Rice bran is one of the main by-products of rice milling industries constituting around 10% of the total weight of rice kernel. It is rich in bioactive phytochemicals which have several health benefits.  Among others, rice bran contains 10-23 % fat constituting the major bioactive elements of the bran. The aim of this work is therefore to evaluate rice bran oils obtained from Ethiopian rice milling plants for suitability of human consumption. The rice bran was stabilized using microwave heating to inactivate endogenous lipase enzyme that would otherwise cause rancidity of the oil and render it inedible. The oil was then extracted and evaluated for its physicochemical properties, fatty acid compositions and antioxidant activity using standard methods. The result of the work confirmed that rice bran oil from Ethiopian rice milling plants have physicochemical characteristics that satisfies the acceptable threshold values set by various organizations. Interestingly, the oil contained a substantial fatty acid profile (high amount of unsaturated fatty acids) and high content of unsaponifiable matter which contributes to the claimed health benefits of the oil. In addition, it exhibited a strong antioxidant activity (95.319 %) at concentration of 18 mg/mL which also essentially contributes to its’ health benefits. Proper integration of rice milling with byproduct utilization such as rice bran oil production will contribute to the efforts to alleviate the oil scarcity in the country.