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Rice spread18,19_feature.qxp 12/9/13 9:39 AM Page 1

FAR EAST/ASIA

ice is a staple for many diets across the globe. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is the second largest crop grown in the world, after corn (maize). Rice bran’s liquid gold RAn April 2013 Inform article, ‘Rice bran : nature’s healthful oil’ states that, in 2009, total world production of rice was 455.7M tonnes. FAO A ‘balanced and versatile’ , a beneficial cosmetics figures from 2011 show that the top five producers ingredient and an ‘economical and affordable’ biofuel, rice bran oil of rice are China, , , (RBO) has a lot to offer. Charlotte Niemiec examines the growing and Vietnam, which produced 202.6M tonnes, 155.7M tonnes, 65.7M tonnes, 50.6M tonnes and popularity of this niche oil 42.3M tonnes, respectively. To produce white rice – the rice most com - A heart healthy oil less healthy and in the diet.” monly sold – the brown, paddy rice (rough rice) is Studies also suggest the RBO component milled and polished. The husk that is polished off Nevertheless, RBO has enjoyed some popularity ‘gamma oryzanol’ is effective in relieving hot is called rice bran and is a good source of oil; the as a heart healthy oil. It contains 47% monounsat - flushes and other symptoms of menopause, while article states that rice bran contains 15% to 20% urated fats, 33% polyunsaturated fats and 20% sat - other potential benefits include modulation of oil, depending on the cultivar, agricultural practice urated fats. It is composed of 38.4% , pituitary secretion, inhibition of gastric acid selec - and extent of polishing. 34.4% , 21.5% , 2.9% tion, antioxidant action and inhibition of platelet Despite their huge rice production levels, not all , 2.2% α-linoleic acid and 0.6% myris - aggregation. It has also showed some success in the growing countries listed above produce rice tic acid. managing high -induced hyperlipidemia. bran oil. India produces the most, at 820,000 The oil has a high of 232ºC, mak - Finally, the biodiesel review report claims its tonnes/year, but only 19% of RBO’s potential is ing it suitable for high temperature cooking meth - phytic acid content of 8.7% is comparatively realised, even though rice is grown in many coun - ods such as and , and it has higher than that in other bran and seeds. Phytic tries. a mild flavour. It is popular as a cooking oil in acid exhibits strong anticancer activity and its RBO has not enjoyed the popularity of other Asian countries such as Japan and China. hexasulphate content is claimed to inhibit the edible oils. According to Yi-Hsu Ju and Shaik While it is used mainly for frying and cooking proliferation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Ramjan Vali, the authors of ‘Rice bran oil as a processes, it is also used in the preparation of (HIV). potential resource for biodiesel: a review’, the wax nutraceutical products and there have been a Historically, says Henk Hoogenkamp, research in RBO is difficult to remove completely, which number of studies into its potential as a biofuel. technician at the Nijmegen Centre for Molecular gives the oil a haze, especially in colder climates. The American Heart Association (AHA) has Life Science, rice bran was considered a waste The authors explain that “this, along with the claimed RBO is the most versatile and balanced product with little value because active enzymes darker colour of the oil, has been responsible for cooking oil available. A 19 September 2012 press caused rapid lipid degradation. the poor acceptance of RBO by consumers”. release from the AHA revealed that a new study “However, the introduction of innovative lipase They continue: “Another major drawback in into RBO found it helped lower blood pressure in deactivation resulted in lipid stabilisation, which producing edible grade RBO from crude oil is its high blood pressure sufferers. The study involved has allowed rice bran to move up into a higher high [free (FFA)] content. Freshly milled a group of 300 people prescribed a common blood hierarchy of the food chain,” he says. rice bran has a short shelf life because of the pressure medication. Those who took the medi - The Inform article explains that RBO was first decomposition of lipids into FFA by lipases, mak - cine in conjunction with a blend of sesame and extracted with food-grade hexane in India in the ing it less economical to process into edible oil for rice bran oil had more than twice the drop in 1960s. It says oil extraction should be done on human consumption.” blood pressure compared to either the group tak - fresh bran or on the bran obtained soon after RBO is not a common source of edible oil com - ing medication alone, or those only supplement - milling, to prevent the lipase action on bran oil pared to other traditional cereal or seed sources ing their diet with the oil blend. and to ensure the quality of the extracted oil. such as corn, cotton, sunflower or soyabean, Dr Devarajan Sanker, a research scientist at the The article continues: “Refining of RBO is states the report. Department of Cardiovascular Disease at Fukuoka accomplished by two methods, one by chemical It is also not produced in large enough amounts University in Chikushino, Japan, says: reaction with alkali, known as alkali to be considered a significant oil. If all the rice “Additionally, [RBO] may reduce refining/chemical refining; the other by steam bran in the world was harnessed for oil extrac - heart disease risk in other stripping-vacuum distillation of FFA, known tion, the estimated potential yield of crude ways, including as physical refining. In addition to RBO would only be about eight being a substi - removing FFA, both processes million tonnes. tute for involve the steps of degumming, dewaxing and bleaching.

18 OFI – JANUARY 2014 www.oilsandfatsinternational.com Rice Bran spread18,19_feature.qxp 12/9/13 9:39 AM Page 33

FAR EAST/ASIA

Chemical refining involves the additional step of The report claims that crude RBO is a rich source extraction plants in the world. In 1988, Thai deodorisation.” of high value-added byproduct and, therefore, use Ruam Jai Co Ltd was founded to of RBO as a raw material for the production of help the Thai Edible Oil Co expand production Use of RBO in health and cosmetics biodiesel not only makes the process economical capacity for rice bran oil. In 2011, the latter but also generates value-added bio-active compo - expanded its extraction capacity to 200,000 Currently, several studies are being conducted nents. tonnes/year of rice bran. around the world for RBO’s use in cosmetics. Other, smaller manufacturers include Surin According to rice reporting agency, Oryza, studies Rice bran oil manufacturers Bran Oil Co Ltd, established in 1990 and located have shown that RBO has several beneficial prop - in Thailand. It has a 300 tonnes/day storage erties for skin and hair. Dedicated manufacturers of rice bran oil are quick capacity and its rice bran oil refining plant han - The Solvent Extractors Association (SEA) of to point out the oil’s health benefits. RiceBran dles 30 tonnes/day. The solvent plant of Indian India states that RBO can be effective in treating technologies focuses on the processing and distri - company Shivangi Oils produces 200 tonnes/year itching of the skin and can be used as an anti-dan - bution of stabilised rice bran and other of rice bran and 50 tonnes/day of RBO for refin - druff agent in the production of cosmetics. The proprietary, rice bran-based ing. Its additional refinery unit, commis - association explains: “While the chemical ‘toco - ingredients and formula - sioned in 2008, has a capacity of 50 pherol’ that is found in RBO is an antioxidant tions. tonnes/day. ɀ belonging to the group – which is good The US company, Charlotte Niemiec is OFI’s for the skin – another chemical, ‘squalene’ is ben - headquartered in assistant editor eficial in maintaining the tone of the skin.” Phoenix, Arizona, Furthermore, cosmeticsdesign-europe.com, has rice bran pro - which provides daily news on the cosmetics cessing facilities in RICE BRAN OIL HAS industry and manufacturers in Europe, reports both north and ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES AND IS that a Vietnamese scientist had developed a south America. CLAIMED TO HELP LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE method to make gamma oryzanol from rice bran, Its listed stor - (PHOTO: PIKKYSTOCK/ that can then be used in cosmetics and anti-age - age capacities DREAMSTIME.COM) ing supplements. Gamma oryzanol is a complex of are 5,000 ferulic acid esters extracted from rice bran oil and, tonnes in Dillon, as such, it has biological properties similar to Montana; 30,000 those of ferulic acid, which is a potent antioxidant. tonnes in Mermentau, According to the news report, it has been used Los Angeles; and 10,000 widely in manufacturing medicine, cosmetics and tonnes in West anti-ageing supplements for women, as well as Sacramento, California. being used as supplements to help develop mus - It has an additional cles in the body and increase strength. plant in Arbuckle, In addition, Oryza reports that a study is California, but the com - attempting to tap the potential of antioxidants pany has not revealed present in rice bran to help fight colon and other its capacity. kinds of cancer. King Rice Bran Oil, produced by the Thai Biofuel potential Edible Oil Company, is one of the largest As a potential biofuel, RBO has been largely rice bran oil neglected. Nevertheless, several studies have been carried out as to its potential, and biodieseltech - nologiesindia.com explains that RBO is a “non- conventional, inexpensive and low-grade vegetable oil. If the by-products are derived from crude rice bran oil and the resul - tant oil is used as a feedstock for biodiesel, the resulting biodiesel could be quite economical and affordable.”

19 OFI – JANwUwAwR.Yo i2ls0a1n4df a twsiwnwte.ronilastaionndafal.tcsoinm ternational.com