Effect of pre-germination time of brown rice on serum cholesterol levels of hypercholesterolaemic rats.
BACKGROUND
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 h pre-germination) were used to investigate the influence of pre-germination time of brown rice on blood cholesterol in Sprague-Dawley male rats.


RESULTS
Hypercholesterolaemia and elevation of LDL-cholesterol were successfully ameliorated by the experimental diets containing BR and PGBR (24 and 48 h 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.


CONCLUSIONS
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. This study suggests that PGBR can be used instead of BR and polished rice in the human diet.
Roohinejad
Shahin
S
Department of Food Technology, University Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Omidizadeh
Alireza
A
Mirhosseini
Hamed
H
Saari
Nazamid
N
Mustafa
Shuhaimi
S
Yusof
Rokiah Mohd
RM
Hussin
Anis Shobirin Meor
AS
Hamid
Azizah
A
Abd Manap
Mohd Yazid
MY
D000818:Animals; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000378:metabolism; D005511:Food Handling; D055951:Functional Food; D018525:Germination; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000178:diet therapy*; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012275:Oryza / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D010666:Phenylpropionates / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D008055:Lipids; D010666:Phenylpropionates; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D002784:Cholesterol; C013172:gamma-oryzanol