Food scientists at UC Davis and the USDA Western Regional Research Center in Albany continued work on the starch characteristics of rice, nutritional properties of germinated brown rice and the health properties of rice and rice bran.

Amylose, a component of starch, has a major influence on the texture of rice.  Low amylose content is a desirable characteristic because it retains desirable textural properties even after storage under cold conditions.  This type of rice would be suitable for export of cooked meals.  Scientists are working to better understand the genetic basis for amylose content in two types of low amylose Japanese rice, to identify milling facilities for this type of rice and to offer technical expertise in rice texture analysis. 

A nutritional study begun in September 2002 took a closer look at vitamin E and the antioxidant properties in rice bran.  The predominant antioxidant in rice bran is alpha tocopherol of vitamin E.  Previous studies had shown that even modest amounts of vitamin E can reduce heart disease in test animals.  Research is aimed now at determining whether the vitamin E in brown rice can make a significant contribution to cardiovascular health.

Sprouted cereals are becoming increasingly popular in Europe and Asia as sources of health-promoting phytochemicals.  A shelf-stable slightly sprouted rice product from Japan thought to have enhanced nutritional properties is being evaluated.  Specifically, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of germinated rice, are being studied.  The antioxidant properties were examined in hamsters for 100 days and are showing reduced aortic lesions in test hamsters.  Researchers also found that the animals fed germinated brown rice gained more weight than animals fed either regular brown rice or a control diet, suggesting that sprouted rice contains useful amounts of beneficial phytochemicals.

Another study is examining the phytate portion of rice bran in cereal.  Phytate binds calcium and zinc and reduces weight gain in animals.  Calcium has a positive benefit in preventing colon cancer.  In this study rats are being fed rice bran, defatted rice bran and rice bran containing phytase to determine effects on colon cancer.  Phytase is an enzyme that breaks down phytate.  It is used to improve the nutritional properties of bran in feed.