Optimization of germination process of “Cam” brown rice by response surface methodology and evaluation of germinated rice quality

Abstract

“Cam” brown rice (CBR), a Vietnamese cultivar containing a high level of anthocyanin was germinated at various conditions to maximize anthocyanin. To obtain optimum conditions, major factors such as soaking time, pH, germination time and temperature were evaluated using Box-Behnken design to achieve the highest anthocyanin content in germinated “Cam” brown rice (GCBR). The results revealed that 2.6 hrs of soaking at pH 3.1 and followed by 15.5 hrs of germination were optimal germination condition to achieve maximum anthocyanin content (45.18 mg/100 g GCBR). Along with high content of anthocyanin, the increased amounts of these nutrients relative to those in the un-GCBR were 7 times for GABA, 17% polyphenol and 22% reducing sugars. In addition, GCBR possessed good sensory characteristics in structure and taste.