Fatores abióticos no processo de germinação induzida e efeitos sobre propriedades tecnológicas, nutricionais e sensoriais de arroz

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of germination and abiotic stresses, by cold and salinity, on the technological, nutritional and sensory characteristics of brown rice. The grains were soaked in water at 40 °C until they reached 30% humidity. The soaked grains were germinated at 30 °C for 36 hours in a BOD chamber. The stress conditions were applied in the last 4 hours of germination with saline solution (5% w/v), low temperature (4 °C) and a combination of saline solution and low temperature. The color parameters, technological properties, texture profile, gamma-aminobutyric acid content, protein and starch digestibility and some sensory parameters were analyzed after germination. The sprouted grains, without any stress, were darker than brown rice. Germinated rice grains exposed to cold stress were more resistant to crushing and chewing compared to grains exposed to salinity stress and those exposed to both cold and salinity stresses. Germination increased the content of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the digestibility of starch. The GABA content had a marked increase, while the digestibility of the protein decreased (due to the Maillard reaction) in the germinated grains after exposure to abiotic stresses. The results of this study were satisfactory for the nutritional and technological parameters and, therefore, the exposure of germinated grains to abiotic stress can be an alternative method for the production of enriched rice.