Nutritional and Organoleptic Evaluation of Baked Products Incorporating Stabilized Rice Bran

Background: Rice bran, a byproduct of rice milling is a rich source of fiber, proteins, fats and micronutrients. There is an increasing demand for functional foods that can provide a variety of nutrients besides providing bioactives rendering therapeutic value thereby reducing the risk of chronic diseases. Methods: The study was carried out to evaluate the physicochemical and in vitro antioxidative potential of stabilized rice bran powder [full-fat rice bran (FFRB) and defatted rice bran (DFRB)] in baked products. Three variants of each product viz. rusks and twisted sticks were prepared by incorporating FFRB and DFRB at 5%, 10% and 15% level along with the standard (control) without the addition of rice bran powder. Results: The results indicated that DFRB showed higher antioxidative potential and improved water absorption capacity (WAC), oil absorption capacity (OAC) than FFRB. Proximate analysis revealed that the protein and ash content of the baked products improved significantly (p ≤ 0.05) with an increased level of incorporation of FFRB and DFRB as compared to control. The DPPH activity of DFRB (78.7 ± 0.46) was significantly higher than FFRB (35.5 ± 2.89). Sensory appraisal of the rusk revealed that variant I and II with 5% and 10% level of incorporation were more acceptable as compared to control. The sensory appraisal of twisted sticks revealed that all the three variants were equally acceptable as the control sample. Conclusion: The incorporation of full fat and defatted rice bran powders to baked products enhanced their nutritional profile and physicochemical characteristics without affecting the organoleptic properties.