Effects of germination time on the structural, physicochemical and functional properties of brown rice

Germinated brown rice (GBR) is a gluten-free food raw material. Its tissue structure, physicochemical properties and functional properties depend on the germination time. In this study, rapid viscosity analyses, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction et al were used to analyse the structural, physicochemical and functional changes in brown rice (BR) during germination. Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), total phenolic compound, glutathione (GSH) and amino acid contents increased during germination. GBR exhibited the highest GSH (22.70 mg per 100 g) and amino acid (8.02 mg per 100 g) contents at 24 h and the highest GABA content (253.35 mg per 100 g) at 36 h. Furthermore, BR germinated for 36 h showed greater enthalpy (Delta H) than ungerminated BR. Although GBR showed less crystallinity than ungerminated BR, germination did not change the crystalline structure type of starch (A-type). These results inform choices of the appropriate applications of GBR to promote its utilisation in the food industry.