Effects of water regime,nitrogen fertilization,and rice plant density on growth and reproduction of lowland weed Echinochloa crus-galli

Direct-seeded rice systems are increasing in Asia as farmers respond to the high labor cost and shortage of water. Echinochloa crus-galli is one of the most problematic and competitive weeds in direct-seeded rice systems. Because of concerns about excessive herbicide use, there is an interest in developing cultural weed management strategies. However, the design of such strategies requires a better understanding of the weed response to crop density, nutrition, and water regime. A study was therefore conducted in pots to determine the effect of water (flooded and aerobic), nitrogen (N) fertilization (0, 100, and 200 kg N ha⁻¹), and rice density [0, 4 rice plants (≈20 kg seed ha⁻¹), and 16 rice plants (≈80 kg seed ha⁻¹)] on the growth and reproduction of E. crus-galli. When grown alone, the growth and seed production of E. crus-galli were higher in flooded conditions than in aerobic conditions. However, no such differences were observed when E. crus-galli was grown with rice interference. E. crus-galli growth and seed production increased with increases in N rate. Irrespective of water regime and N rate, the growth and seed production of E. crus-galli declined with increases in rice density. At 100 kg N ha⁻¹, for example, E. crus-galli shoot biomass and seed production decreased by 84–86% and 82–87%, respectively, when grown with 16 rice plants compared with its growth without rice interference. The results suggest that growth and seed production of E. crus-galli can be greatly reduced by increasing rice seeding rate. However, there is a need to involve other weed management strategies to achieve complete control of E. crus-galli and other weed species.     

Agronomic,molecular and antioxidative characterization of red- and purple-pericarp rice (Oryza sativa L.) mutants in Taiwan

Pigmentation of rice grain is controlled by Ra, Rc and Rd genes, and the expressions of these genes differ among red-, purple- and white-pericarp varieties. The present study examined the grain yield and the expression of Ra, Rc and Rd genes in non-waxy white-pericarp rice SA418 and waxy white-pericarp rice SA419 and their respective red-pericarp and purple-pericarp mutants with waxy or non-waxy endosperm. Significant variations in 100-grains weight and grain yield were observed among the tested mutants. The Ra was expressed in purple-pericarp mutants, while the Rc was expressed in red-pericarp mutants. The total phenolics, total flavonoids, total anthocyanins and total proanthocyanidins contents and antioxidant activities in the bran part also differed among the mutants. Non-waxy red-pericarp mutant M-69 had heavier 100-grains weight (2.86 g), contained more total phenolics (49.37 mg g⁻¹ bran dry weight) and produced higher grain yield (6.93 t ha⁻¹) than white-pericarp rices SA418 (2.43 g, 2.89 mg g⁻¹ bran dry weight and 2.80 t ha⁻¹, respectively) and SA419 (2.62 g, 2.20 mg g⁻¹ bran dry weight and 6.73 t ha⁻¹, respectively). Thus, the polished rice grain of M-69 can be used for staple food consumption, and its bran parts are useful for producing health-promoting by-product.     

Identification of a GDSL-motif carboxylester hydrolase from rice bran (Oryza sativa L.)

A major esterase (designated OsEST1) showing high activity using 1-naphthyl acetate as a substrate was identified from rice bran and purified approximately 239-fold to near-homogeniety. The purified enzyme migrated as a single polypeptide band on native and SDS-polyacrylamide gels and had a molecular mass of 25 kDa under denaturing conditions. Analysis of its tryptic peptides by MALDI-TOF-MS and subsequent data mining identified a corresponding cDNA OsEST1 consisting of 714 nucleotides and encoding a 238 amino acid protein. Analysis of its primary sequence indicated that OsEST1 is a GDSL-motif carboxylester hydrolase belonging to the SGNH protein subfamily in containing the putative catalytic triad of Ser¹¹, Asp¹⁸⁷, and His¹⁹⁰. OsEST1 showed the highest catalytic activity at approximately pH 8.0–8.5 and at 45 °C with K_m and V_max values for 1-naphthyl acetate of 172 μM and 63.7 μmol/min/mg protein, respectively. However, OsEST1 showed no activity with triacylglycerol. Alignment of the primary sequence of OsEST1 and other rice GDSL-motif esterases/lipases showed that OsEST1 aligns with a specific family of plant SGNH esterases involved in response to dehydration and cuticle formation. These results suggest that OsEST1 is not a lipase but an esterase activity which has some other function in rice, especially during seed development.     

Antioxidant properties of wheat and rye bran extracts obtained by pressurized liquid extraction with different solvents

Rye and wheat brans are valuable sources of bioactive compounds, which could be used for the development and commercialization of high added value functional ingredients such as dietary antioxidants. The aim of this study was to evaluate antioxidant potential of rye and wheat bran using different polarity solvents. Cereal brans were ground to four different particle size fractions and extracted at 10.3 MPa pressure and 80 °C temperature by consecutive application of hexane, acetone and methanol:water (80:20%). The highest extract yield was obtained from rye bran using methanol-water; particle size in most cases had a significant effect. Antioxidant potential of extracts was assessed by ABTS^+•, DPPH^• scavenging, ORAC and total phenols content (TPC) assays. Extraction solvent had a major influence on TPC and antioxidant activity of the extracts. The most active extracts were obtained using methanol:water; rye bran extracts, in general, were stronger antioxidants than wheat bran extracts. For the majority of assays, reduction of particle size resulted in higher antioxidant activity values. However, ABTS^+• scavenging was found to decrease by decreasing particle size of rye bran used for extraction.     

Hydrogen Stable Isotope Analysis of Water Acquisition Ability of Deep Roots and Hydraulic Lift in Sixteen Food Crop Species

Abstract

Deep root penetration, which allows access to deep soil water and hydraulic lift, may help plants to overcome drought stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of sixteen food crop species to take up water from deep soil layers and the extent of hydraulic lift by the use of deuterated water. Plants were grown in pots consisting of two loose soil layers separated by a hardpan and a Vaseline layer. The lower (deep) layers were always kept wet (32%; ψ = –5 kPa), while soil moisture in the upper (topsoil) ones was adjusted to 25% (ψ = –7 kPa) and 12% (ψ = –120 kPa) in the well-watered and drought treatments, respectively. The deuterium labeling of the deep soil water provided evidence that wheat, Job’s tears, finger millet, soybean, barnyard millet, rice, and rye (in decreasing order of D₂O increments) extracted more water from the deep layers under drought than well-watered in topsoil. These species showed significantly greater hydraulic lift under drought, except for soybean. Most of these species also showed increased root length density in deep soil layers and sustained high photosynthetic rates under drought. In contrast, pigeon pea, cowpea, common millet, pearl millet, foxtail millet, maize, barley, and oat did not show a significant increment in either deep-water uptake or hydraulic lift under drought. In summary, increased extraction of deep soil water under drought was closely related with the magnitude of hydraulic lift.     

Functional characterization of extruded rice noodles with corn bran: Xanthophyll content and rheology

The rheological changes in rice noodles by the substitution of corn bran and the effect of temperature on the xanthophyll content (lutein and zeaxanthin) of the corn bran-rice flour noodles were evaluated. The use of corn bran increased the water holding capacity of rice flour at room temperature while the opposite results were observed after heating. The pasting parameters of rice flour-corn bran mixture were reduced with increasing levels of corn bran and the mixture paste exhibited more dominant liquid-like behavior. The noodles containing corn bran exhibited lower expansion ratio and softer textural properties. The levels of lutein and zeaxanthin in raw corn bran were 336.9 and 123.1 μg/100 g, respectively and were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) by heating. While lutein and zeaxanthin were not detected in the control noodles without corn bran, their levels in corn bran-incorporated noodles ranged from 56.2 to 137.3 μg/100 g and from 37.9 to 61.9 μg/100 g, respectively and were significantly reduced by 37.7–45.4% (P < 0.05) after cooking. Thus, the heat-labile characteristics of two xanthophylls were clearly observed. This study provides useful information on the processing performance and xanthophyll content of corn bran, possibly extending its use in a wider variety of foods.     

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of rice bran protein and its hydrolysates properties

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was applied for extracting rice bran protein with a response surface methodology (RSM). The optimal condition was 1000 W of microwave power, 90 s of extraction time, and a solid to liquid ratio of 0.89 g rice bran/10 mL of distilled water. The protein yield of MAE was higher than that of alkaline extraction (ALK) by about 1.54-fold (P < 0.05), while the protein digestibility was similar. The protein hydrolysates (PHs) with at different degrees of hydrolysis (DH) (5.04, 10.37 and 15.04%) were produced by alcalase. The molecular weight (MW) of the rice bran protein concentrates (RBPC) and the PHs ranged between <11 kDa and 100 kDa. The excessive enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in a negative effect on water and oil absorption capacities. The PHs with DH15.04% acted as the strongest DPPH radical scavenger, ferric reducing agent, and also metal ion chelator (P < 0.05). However, a DH of 5.04% was sufficient for improving the functional properties of RBPC, especially foam ability and the emulsion activity index. This study suggests that the desirable properties of rice bran protein can be controlled with enzymatic modification.     

Effects of visible light irradiation on the oxidative stability in rice bran

Raw rice bran was treated with or without visible light exposure at room temperature or stored at 40 °C in the dark for 10 days and rice bran oil (RBO) was recovered from each rice bran. Headspace oxygen content from rice bran and conjugated dienoic acid (CDA) value, acid value, content of γ-oryzanol, and fluorescence intensity in RBO were analyzed to determine the effects of visible light on the oxidative stability in rice bran. Headspace oxygen content in visible light irradiated rice bran (RBL) decreased by 12.8% for 10 days while those in the dark (RBD) and stored at 40 °C (RBT) decreased by 5.87 and 5.35%, respectively, implying visible light irradiation accelerates the consumption of oxygen. CDA values in RBO from RBL were significantly higher than those in RBO from RBD and RBT (p < 0.05). However, acid values in RBO were not significantly different among samples (p > 0.05). Both γ-oryzanol content and fluorescence intensity in RBO from RBL were significantly lower than those in RBO from RBD and RBT (p < 0.05). Fluorescence intensity, which is related to the content of chlorophylls, decreased in samples under light only, implying that chlorophyll photosensitization may play important roles in the acceleration of lipid oxidation in rice bran.     

Effect of emergence time,inter- and intra-specific competition on growth and fecundity of Echinochloa crus-galli in dry-seeded rice

Since 2005, the evolution and spread of herbicide-resistant Echinochloa crus-galli biotypes have posed a serious threat to crop production in the Philippines. A comprehensive knowledge of E. crus-galli ecology and fecundity is fundamental in managing different biotypes of this weed. It was hypothesized that (a) high weed plant density produces more biomass and fertile seeds per unit area, (b) rice interference reduces the biomass and fecundity of the weed, and (c) a delay in weed emergence reduces the soil seed bank. In 2013, experiments were conducted in the wet season (WS) and dry season (DS), to understand the effect of E. crus-galli densities (40 and 80 plants m⁻²) on its growth, survival, and fecundity, with varying emergence times of 2, 15, 30, and 45 d after rice emergence (DARE). Relative to the weed plants grown without rice interference, E. crus-galli growth and seed production was lower in the presence of rice. Percent survival and plant height of E. crus-galli declined in a linear manner in the DS, and declined in a quadratic manner in the WS. Tiller number, inflorescence number, inflorescence biomass, and shoot biomass per plant declined in an exponential manner, with a delay in emergence of each cohort relative to rice. Across rice seeding rate, weed density, and emergence time, there was a linear relationship (y = 110x − 272 in the DS and y = 100x − 220 in the WS) between E. crus-galli shoot biomass and the number of seeds plant⁻¹. Relative to the late-emerging weed cohorts, E. crus-galli seed production (1320–1579 seeds plant⁻¹), 1000-seed weight (2.2–2.9 g), and seed yield (2808–2334 kg ha⁻¹) were higher when seedlings emerged with the crop (2 DARE). None of the seedlings that emerged 45 DARE produced viable seeds. Seed germination of the first two cohorts (2 and 15 DARE) ranged from 84 to 91%. The delay in emergence of E. crus-galli beyond 30 DARE reduced the percentage of germinable and viable seeds, and increased the percentage of non-viable seeds produced plant⁻¹. The results suggest that cultural weed management approaches that delay the emergence of E. crus-galli can reduce weed biomass and seed production, and is thus valuable for preventing seed rain to the seed bank by noxious weed biotypes in the field.     

Antioxidative properties of partially purified barley hordein, rice bran protein fractions and their hydrolysates

Antioxidative properties of proteins from barley and rice bran and their hydrolysates were examined. Three major hordein fractions of barley, B, C and D hordeins, were partially purified by gel filtration. Albumin, globulin, prolamin and glutelin fractions of rice bran were fractioned by the Osborne method. Hydrolysates of these protein fractions were prepared by digesting with pepsin followed by trypsin. Antioxidant properties in terms of antioxidative activity against linoleic acid peroxidation and reducing activity without the lipid adjuvant were investigated. The globulin fraction from rice bran protein revealed the strongest antioxidative activity throughout the incubation time of 7 days (p ≤ 0.05). The albumin fraction of rice bran protein showed the highest reducing activity (6964 μmol of Fe²⁺) followed by globulin, prolamin, glutelin and hordein fractions with activities of 2904, 2017, 1809 and 1333 μmol of Fe²⁺, respectively (p ≤ 0.05). Partially purified C hordein exhibited the highest reducing activity compared with B and D hordeins. Protein hydrolysates obtained after digestion with pepsin and trypsin exhibited much greater antioxidative, as well as reducing, activities than those from before digestion.     

Effects of the amount and type of fatty acids present in millets on their in vitro starch digestibility and expected glycemic index (eGI)

This study investigated whether the amounts and types of fatty acids present in millet plays a role in its known hypoglycemic properties. In a two part study, the first part involved complexing excess amount (2 mmol/g of starch) of palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids to cooked pearl, finger, proso and foxtail millet starches, subjecting the complexes to in vitro starch digestibility and calculating their expected glycemic index (eGI). The second part of the study consisted of complexing the millet starches with the fatty acids in the amounts present in their respective millet flours. Elaidic acid in equal amounts to oleic acid was also used to ascertain the effects of the cis or trans configuration of the fatty acid on millet starch digestibility. The complex index (CI) of the fatty acids with millet starch increased with increasing level of unsaturation. Significant (p < 0.05) reductions in the in vitro starch digestibility and eGI of the millet starch-fatty acid complexes were observed. Reductions in the starch hydrolysis of the samples were found to be significantly linked to the amounts of the fatty acids added. The presence of unsaturated fatty acids generally resulted in less starch being hydrolyzed. Oleic acid seemed to be a very effective fatty acid in reducing the amount of starch hydrolyzed. Trans oleic acid (elaidic acid) showed to be less efficacious compared to oleic acid in cis configuration. The amount and type of fatty acids interacting with starch plays a significant role in the hypoglycemic property of millet.     

Evaluation of seed treatment insecticides for management of the rice water weevil,Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in commercial rice fields in Louisiana

The rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is the most injurious insect pest in US rice production. Yield losses in excess of 25% can occur from severe infestations. Management demonstrations were conducted in the 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 growing seasons to evaluate the use of commercially available insecticides to control L. oryzophilus in commercial rice fields. The demonstration tests, conducted on farms throughout Louisiana, compared the efficacies of recently registered seed treatment insecticides to untreated controls and to foliar applications of pyrethroids. Efficacy was assessed by collecting root/soil core samples three to four weeks after application of permanent flood and counting numbers of larvae and pupae in core samples. Tests were replicated across locations in multiple rice-producing Louisiana parishes. Densities of larvae and pupae in core samples exceeded the larval threshold (three larvae or pupae per core sample) in over 80% of untreated plots/cuts, confirming the ubiquity and severity of this insect as a pest of rice. Use of chlorantraniliprole (Dermacor^® X-100, DuPont™ Crop Protection, Wilmington, DE), thiamethoxam (CruiserMaxx^® Rice, Syngenta^® Crop Protection, Greensboro, NC), and clothianidin (NipsIt Inside^®, Valent^® USA Corporation, Walnut Creek, CA) seed treatments significantly reduced L. oryzophilus infestation compared to untreated checks. Fewer larvae and pupae were observed in rice treated with chlorantraniliprole than in rice treated with other insecticides.     

Resistance responses of rice to rice blast fungus after seed treatment with the endophytic Achromobacter xylosoxidans AUM54 strains

In the present investigation, we studied resistance imparted by seed treatment with an endophytic strain of Achromobacter xylosoxidans, AUM54, against rice blast caused by Magnaporthe oryzae. In vitro studies showed that A. xylosoxidans AUM54 was able to inhibit mycelial growth of M. oryzae by 11% and was able to increase rice germination and seedling vigor index of rice by 31 and 114%, respectively. AUM54 also showed better survivability in the spermosphere and spermoplane and was able to move systemically through the roots and stem. Among the evaluated carriers, liquid formulation amended with 2% glycerol sustained the maximum bacterial population (7.4 log cfu ml⁻¹) after six-months-storage at room temperature. Plants treated with A. xylosoxidans AUM54 followed by inoculation with M. oryzae showed a significant increase in the activities of defense related enzymes such as polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and chitinase. A. xylosoxidans AUM54 treatment was able to reduce blast disease incidence by 39% in treated rice plants. Additionally, inoculation with A. xylosoxidans AUM54 significantly enhanced the growth (3–13% plant height), and yield (11–31%) of inoculated rice plants under no-disease and disease conditions in the greenhouse experiments.     

Soil properties affected by combinations of soil solarization and organic amendment

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects on soil properties of solarization combined with rice bran additive. The treatments included control (bare soil), black polyethylene film mulch (BM), clear polyethylene film mulch (CM), rice bran mixture (RBMx), rice bran mulch (RBM), rice bran mixture and black polyethylene film mulch (RBMx + BM), rice bran and black polyethylene film mulch (RBM + BM), rice bran mixture and clear polyethylene film mulch (RBMx + CM), and rice bran and clear polyethylene film mulch (RBM + CM). Initially, 15 kg m⁻² of rice bran was applied to each treatment as the organic amendment. A cover of black or clear polyethylene film was then used to begin the soil solarization process. Approximately 49 days later, the polyethylene film was removed and five broccoli seedlings per replication were planted 6 weeks later. The combination of rice bran mixture with the clear/transparent polyethylene film mulch (RBMx + CM) raised both the mean and maximum soil temperatures over 0–30 cm of soil depth. Maximum soil temperature under the RBMx + CM treatment was the highest of all treatments (77°C) and were about 32°C greater than under the control, while it was only 52°C under RBM + BM treatment. Combining rice bran with clear/transparent polyethylene film mulch during the soil solarization process is recommended for raising soil temperatures. Further investigation over a longer period of soil solarization process with rice bran–organic amendment and polyethylene film mulch combinations is required to more accurately determine their effects on soil properties and crop production.     

Management of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne graminicola infesting rice in the nursery and crop field by integrating seed priming and soil application treatments of pesticides

The study evaluates the effects of seed priming (5 g or ml kg⁻¹ seed) and soil application (2 kg or l ha⁻¹) of eight organophosphate pesticides on rice root-knot disease caused by Meloidogyne graminicola. Seed priming (SP) or soil application (SA) of phorate, carbofuran and chlorpyriphos (1000 J₂ of M. graminicola kg⁻¹ soil) suppressed galling in the rice nursery by 92 and 99%, 80 and 88% and 76 and 80%, respectively, over control. Relatively similar decreases in the galling were recorded when this nursery was grown for four months in the sterilized soils in earthen pots. Rice cv. PS-5 grown in naturally infested soil in earthen pots (1000 J₂ kg⁻¹ soil) became stunted, showing chlorotic foliage, and terminal galls developed on the roots. The treatment of SP + SA 15 + 30 days after planting (DAP) with phorate, carbosulfan, and chlorpyriphos significantly suppressed the root-knot development and improved the plant growth of rice over the controls (P ≤ 0.05). The overall effect of the SP + SA 15 DAP treatments was marginally weaker than the SP + SA 15 + 30 DAP treatments but statistically on par. Under field conditions, the greatest decrease in the galling occurred due to SP + SA 15 + 30 DAP of phorate (69−71%) and SP + SA 15 DAP (65−67%) followed by carbosulfan and chlorpyriphos. The yield of rice plants was also highest with phorate (32−36% and 29−34%) over the control during the two years of the study. The soil population of M. graminicola decreased by 58–84% over four months due to the phorate treatments. The study demonstrates that seed priming with phorate effectively controls nematode infections in the nursery and that soil application at 15 DAP (2 kg ai ha⁻¹) prevents root-knot development in an infested field under irrigated conditions. Use of SP + SA 15 DAP may enable to avoid one soil application of phorate in the field.     

Biocontrol of rice blast by the phenaminomethylacetic acid producer of Bacillus methylotrophicus strain BC79

Strain BC79, isolated from primeval forest soil in Qinling, Mountains, China, was identified as Bacillus methylotrophicus based on morphological, biochemical, physiological and chemotaxonomic analyses as well as phylogenetic 16S rDNA sequencing data. This strain was able to suppress mycelial growth and conidial germination of numerous plant pathogenic fungi in dual cultures on solid media. For exploring potential biocontrol activity, we assessed fermentation conditions for studying B. meth1ylotrophicus BC79. The active substance of BC79, phenaminomethylacetic acid, was extracted by TLC and HPLC, and identified as the strongest inhibitory substance described in B. methylotrophicus. Experiments in a greenhouse showed that application of BC79 culture filtrates 24 h before inoculation of Magnaporthe oryzae, the causal agent of rice blast, had 89.87% biocontrol efficiency. B. methylotrophicus BC79 colonized rice plant tissues and at 10 days after filtrate application, its population in leaves (1.65 × 10⁸ CFU/g) was much larger than in stems (6.78 × 10⁷ CFU/g) or roots (3.56 × 10⁷ CFU/g). Field trials indicated that BC79 culture filtrate (4000 g/667 m²) showed the highest efficiency for M. oryzae, with 84.8% biocontrol effect, followed by of 15% phenaminomethylacetic acid extract (75.5%) and 20% tricyclazole (76.1%). Seedling and post-transplant stages were the best periods to apply BC79 for control of rice blast. The B. methylotrophicus BC79 strain hence has enormous potential as an agricultural agent for biocontrol of rice blast.     

Fractionation and characterisation of arabinoxylans from brewers' spent grain and wheat bran

Two agro-industrial co-products, brewers' spent grain and wheat bran, were fractionated by sequentially extracting with alkali of increasing strength. Over 60% of the brewers' grain biomass was solubilised by these treatments, compared with only 25% for wheat bran. The carbohydrate and phenolic composition of the solubilised fractions were determined, highlighting two compositionally different sets of fractions. In both co-products arabinoxylan was the main polysaccharide released. The degree of arabinose substitution of the extracted arabinoxylan diminished as the alkali strength increased. Insoluble residues contained both cellulose and non-cellulosic polysaccharides. In spent grain, the composition of the arabinoxylan in the residue was similar to that of the starting material. In wheat bran, the residual xylan was very highly substituted with arabinose. Both ferulic acid and three forms of diferulic acid (5,5′, 8-O-4′ and 8,5′) were present in the solubilised material, even after treatment with 4 M KOH. Esterified acetate was also present on polymers solubilised with KOH at concentrations up to 1 M. The more soluble fractions of spent grain represented a heterogeneous aggregation of feruloylated arabinoxylans with a broad molecular mass range, but the fractions extracted with stronger base were separated into low molecular weight moieties, presumably due to cleavage of covalent cross-links. Potential food and non-food uses for the isolated fractions from the cereal co-products are discussed.     

Identification and quantification of phenolic acids and anthocyanins as antioxidants in bran,embryo and endosperm of white,red and black rice kernels (Oryza sativa L.)

Whole rice grain comprising endosperm, embryo (or germ), and bran has potential beneficial health effects in addition to provision of nutrients. The distribution of phenolic acids and anthocyanins in endosperm, embryo, and bran of white, red, and black rice grains was investigated in this study. The total phenolic content (TPC) was highest in the bran, averaging 7.35 mg GAE/g and contributing 60%, 86% and 84% of phenolics in white, red and black rice. The average TPC of the embryo and endosperm were 2.79 and 0.11 mg GAE/g accounting for 17% and 23%, 4% and 10% and 7% and 9% in white, red and black rice, respectively. The antioxidant capacity determined using DPPH and ORAC displayed a trend similar to TPC. Free/conjugated phenolic acids in white, red and black rice bran accounted for 41%, 65% and 85% of total acids. Bound phenolic acids in rice bran accounted for 90% of total acids in whole grain. Cis-p-coumaric was detected in bound form in bran while cis-sinapic acid was detected in the free/conjugated form in embryo and bran. Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and peonidin-3-O-glucoside were identified mainly in black rice bran as the total anthocyanins. Cyanindin-3-O-rutinoside was also detected in black rice bran.     

Superfine grinding improves functional properties and antioxidant capacities of bran dietary fibre from Qingke (hull-less barley) grown in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,China

The effect of particle size of hull-less barley (HLB) bran DF on antioxidant and physicochemical properties was investigated. HLB bran and extracted DF was ground by regular and superfine grinding, their particle sizes were determined using laser diffraction method. The results showed that superfine grinding could significantly pulverize DF particles to micro-scale; the particle size distribution was close to a Gaussian distribution. The soluble DF in HLB bran was increased effectively with superfine grinding. Insoluble DF with submicron scale showed increased total phenolic content (TPC), DPPH radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). With particle size reduction, the water retention capacity (WRC), swelling capacity (SC), oil binding capacity (OBC), and nitrite ion absorption capacity (NIAC) were significantly (p < 0.05) increased and the water holding capacity (WHC) had no significant change. A kind of health beneficial DF with higher soluble DF content, WRC, SC, OBC, NIAC and antioxidant activity was obtained using superfine grinding.