Production of a functional orange drink using rice-bran extract

Rice bran، a by-product of the milling process، has attracted considerable attention because of its nutritional quality. Rice bran is a natural source of oil، carbohydrates، lignin، phenolic compounds، proteins، enzymes and vitamins، but it is usually used as animal feed. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of obtaining a rice-bran extract using an efficient environment-friendly method to be used for fortification of orange drinks. Rice-bran extract was obtained by putting rice under pressure at 120˚C to keep the water in the liquid phase. Samples were then prepared by adding the extract as an ingredient in the formulation of an orange drink and their physical and chemical characteristic and rheological behavior determined. Statistical analysis was done using the SPSS software، the statistical test being the Duncan test (p<0. 05%). Increasing therice-extract content in the formulation of the orange drink samples resulted in increases in the ash content، pH، turbidity، dry matter، and sediment and in a decrease in viscosity. ََRhelogically all the treatments resulted in a similar viscosity behavior of a pseudo-plastic fluid with a flow index less than 1. Adding rice-bran extract in the formulation of the orange beverage brought about changes in its physical and chemical properties. The rheological behavior of the samples containing the extract is changed in such a way that the rice bran-containing beverage changes from a Newtonian to a non-Newtonianfluid. Considering the nutritional characteristics of rice-bran extract، by using it in the formulation of orange beverage one can produce a new functional beverage with a higher nutritional value than ordinary orange juice.