January 27/Journal of Farming -- According to recent research from Serdang, Malaysia, "Brown rice is unpolished rice with immeasurable benefits for human health. Brown rice (BR) and pre-germinated brown rice (PGBR) are known to contain various functional compounds such as gamma-oryzanol, dietary fibre and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)."

"In the present study, the experimental diets containing BR and PGBR (24, 48 hour pre-germination) were used to investigate the influence of pre-germination time of brown rice on blood cholesterol in Sprague-Dawley male rats. Hypercholesterolaemia and elevation of LDL-cholesterol were successfully ameliorated by the experimental diets containing BR and PGBR (24 and 48 hour pre-germination). As compared to the control sample, the pre-germination time had a significant (P<0.05) effect on blood cholesterol of Sprague-Dawley male rats. It was also found that the significantly (P<0.05) better effect on lipid profile of hypercholesterolaemic rats was observed by prolonging the pre-germination time. As compared to non-germinated brown rice, the germinated brown rice showed the higher cardio-protective effect on hypercholesterolaemic Sprague-Dawley male rats. The present study suggests that the changes of blood cholesterol can be mainly modulated by using the PGBR rather than BR. The prolonging of pre-germination time led to an increase in the bioactive components, thereby providing a more efficient functional diet affecting the high blood cholesterol," wrote S. Roohinejad and colleagues.

The researchers concluded, "This study suggests that PGBR can be used instead of BR and polished rice in the human diet."

Roohinejad and colleagues published their study in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture ("Effect of Pre-germination Time of Brown Rice on Serum Cholesterol Levels of Hypercholesterolaemic Rats." Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, UNKNOWN DATE;90(2):245-251).

For additional information, contact S. Roohinejad, University of Putra Malaysia, Dept. of Food Technology, Serdang 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.

From the February 1, 2010, Prepared Foods E-dition