Sous Vide and Solid-state Fermentation for Enhancing Nutritional Properties of Rice Bran

 

2024-2025 USDA-NIFA Limited Competitive Research Support Award

 

Principal Investigators and Affiliations:

PI: Dr. Joan King, Louisiana State University 

Graduate Student: Christopher Ringuette

Funded: $64,753

Start Date: 10/1/2024

End Date: 6/30/2025

 

Project Goal

This research aims to stabilize and enhance the nutrient levels in Frontiére rice bran and to facilitate the needed steps for the development of a nutraceutical product.

 

Objectives

1. Compare the bioactive compound profile of the developed Frontiére rice bran cultivar, to a commercially available rice bran. 
2. Explore the effects of thermal stabilization and fermentation using Sous Vide technology on the levels of the bioactive compounds.
3. Develop an efficient way to treat rice bran, which will help maintain a local byproduct for the consumer.

 

Expected Project Outcomes

The research team will develop a fermentation process that will result in increasing the levels of nutrients in rice bran, that the Frontière rice bran will have greater antioxidant and phenolic compounds. The rice farmer will have a second valuable material to sell from the rice they produce.