| Rice bran oil is the oil extracted from rice bran –the outer layer of rice kernel that contains 15-22% of oil. Rice bran was known as the healthiest oil on the world. It contains vitamins, antioxidants, nutrients and trans fat free. It is not just delicate and flavorful, it can help lower cholesterol, fight blood diseases, enhance the immune system, fight free radicals and more. Rice bran oil can use to fry, sauté, in salad dressing, baking and wherever you use cooking oil.Rice bran oil has best balance of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fat as recommended by the World Health Organization. | Table 1: Fatty acid composition of rice bran oil | | Fatty acid | | % | | Myristic | (C14:0) | tr | | Palmitic | (C16:0) | 16 | | Stearic | (C18:0) | 2 | | Oleic | (C18:1) | 42 | | Linoleic | (C18:2) | 38 | | Linolenic | (C18:3) | 1.4 | | Arachidic | (C20:0) | 0.6 | Rice bran oil has a very high smoke (burn) point, making it perfect for deep frying, pan or stir frying and is a premium choice for the replacement of hydrogenated oil containing trans fat now being used in deep fryers | Table 2: Characteristic of Rice Bran Oil | | Iodine value | 99 - 108 | | Saponification value | 180-190 | | Smoke point | 213oC | | Fire point | 352oC | | Cloud index | 17oC | | Refractive index at 25oC | 1.470-1.473 | | Specific gravity 25/25oC | 0.916-0.921 | | Unsaponifiable matter | 3-5% | | Total tocopherols | 200mg/kg | RBO unsaponifiable fraction is rich in vitamin E complex, tocopherols and tocotrienols, a unique antioxidant known as gamma oryzanol, high quantities of phytosterols, polyphenols and squalene. RBO has a very good shelf life compared to other cooking oils because of these antioxidants. These compounds are nutritionally very valuable and it has been shown to be responsible for the hypocholesterolemic effect. RBO appears to be the richest source of tocopherols and tocotrienols. Hence RBO not only has a good fatty acid profile, but also is a rich source of antioxidants and micronutrients. Studies have shown that RBO in the diet significantly reduces LDL cholesterol and triglycerides; it increases HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol), inhibits platelet aggregation and prevents cardiovascular diseases. Clinical studies from Japan, India and the U.S.A. have confirmed these results and named RBO as "Health Oil". In every 1% reduction in cholesterol, there was a 2% decrease in the risk of coronary heart disease. Thus RBO in the diet significantly reduces cholesterol without any side effects known to exist with pharmaceutical drugs and is the healthiest of all oils for human consumption. The cost of rice bran oil is higher than soybean or rape seed oils because of complex refinement process. However, it is deemed as premium oil - like sesame or olive oil, gaining rather greater reputation by users. |