Black rice as a functional food in Indonesia

Abstract

There are many local black rice cultivars in Indonesia, yet only a few of these are formally described in the literature. It has been reported that black rice has many phytochemical variants which may contribute to its use as a functional food, including nutraceuticals and secondary metabolites such as anthocyanin, oryzanol, and more. The purpose of this article was to review literature describing black rice cultivars from Indonesia, with a particular focus on its potential use as a functional food. Our literature search revealed several articles that describe black rice in relation to its nutraceutical properties and its role in reducing non-communicable diseases. Other studies describe the diversity of local pigmented rice and its potential for lowering the risk of hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and for cancer prevention. Black rice has been described as a functional food in several countries; however, there is great diversity among cultivars and further research on Indonesian varieties will determine whether local variants are candidates as well for the development of functional foods.