Establishment of a cultivation method for sprouted brown rice and elucidation of its functional food characteristics

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop sprouted brown rice (SBR), where germinated brown rice (GBR) is cultivated until the shoot and first leaf emerge. SBR is a combination of GBR, which contains high levels of GABA, and sprouts, which are known for their chemopreventive effects. This study showed that SBR with intact grains and almost no roots can be grown by anaerobic water cultivation using weakly acidic electrolyzed water. Amino acids in SBR, which are associated with secondary and tertiary functions, and phenols reached maximum contents after 14-19 and 7 days of culture, respectively, and GABA content (134 mg /100 g dw) was higher than that previously reported in GBR. In addition, the viable cell count of fresh SBR after washing satisfied conditions for raw consumption. SBR has high potential as a novel approach to consuming brown rice with enhanced functionality.