The effects of fermented paste made from soybean, brown rice, or brown rice in combination with rice bran or red ginseng marc on the glucose metabolism and antioxidative defense system in high fat-fed mice were investigated. The mice were given experimental diets for eight weeks: Normal control, high fat, and high fat supplemented with soybean fermented paste, brown rice fermented paste, brown rice-rice bran fermented paste, or brown rice-red ginseng marc fermented paste. The high fat group showed markedly higher blood glucose level and erythrocyte lipid peroxidation than the normal control group. Diet supplementation of fermented paste inhibited the high fat-induced hyperglycemia and oxidative stress via regulation of the glucose-regulating and antioxidant enzymes activities. The soybean and brown rice-red ginseng marc fermented pastes were the most effective in improving the glucose metabolism and antioxidant defense status in mice under high fat diet condition. These findings illustrate that brown rice, in combination with red ginseng marc, may be useful in the development of fermented paste with strong hypoglycemic and antioxidative activities.

Menopause is a matter of concern for women’s health due to a deficiency of female hormones; additionally, reactive oxygen species and aging can cause osteoporosis. Food becomes increasingly interesting as a menopausal woman’s alternative to hormone therapy. The effects of ethanol extracts from dark purple Superjami rice bran on bone metabolism and antioxidant defense systems in menopause-induced animal models were evaluated. Female rats underwent sham surgery or were ovariectomized to induce a menopause-like state. Rats were divided into a sham control group (SHAM), an ovariectomized control group (OVX), and an ovariectomized grou supplemented with Superjami rice bran extract group (OVX-S) and fed for 8 weeks. The OVX groups exhibited significantly more weight gain, amounts of bone turnover biochemical markers (alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, and C-terminal telopeptide), bone loss, lipid-peroxidation and oxidative stress than the SHAM group. However, Superjami bran extract added to the diet resulted in a significant reduction in body weight and lipid peroxidation, as well as enhanced bone metabolism and antioxidant enzyme activities, in ovariectomized rats. These results propound that extracts from Superjami rice bran have therapeutic potentiality against bone loss and oxidative stress in menopause-induced states and will be useful in preventing postmenopausal osteoporosis and oxidative damage.

The comparative effects of instant cooked rice made from giant embryo mutant or ordinary normal rice on body weight and lipid profile in high fat-fed mice were investigated. The animals were given experimental diets for seven weeks: normal control (NC), high fat (HF), and HF supplemented with instant normal white (HF-NW), normal brown (HF-NB), giant embryonic white (HF-GW), or giant embryonic brown (HF-GB) rice. The HF group showed markedly higher body weight, body fat, plasma and hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations, and atherogenic index relative to NC group. However, instant rice supplementation counteracted this high fat-induced hyperlipidemia through regulation of lipogenesis and adipokine production. The GB rice exhibited greater hypolipidemic and body fat-lowering effects than the GW or NB rice. These findings illustrate that the giant embryo mutant may be useful as functional biomaterial for the development of instant rice with strong preventive action against high fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia and obesity.

Dietary supplementation of germinated pigmented rice ( Oryza sativa L.) lowers dyslipidemia risk in ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats