Rice bran oil is the oil extracted from the hard outer brown layer of rice called bran. It is known for its high smoke point of and mild flavor, making it suitable for high-temperature cooking methods such as stir frying and deep frying. It is popular as a cooking oil in East Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and Southeast Asia including India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan, Southern China and Malaysia.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Property!!Crude rice bran oil!!Refined oil
|-
|Moisture||0.5–1.0%||0.1–0.15%
|-
|Density (15 °C)||0.913–0.920||0.913–0.920
|-
|Refractive index||1.4672||1.4672
|-
|Iodine value||85–100||95–104
|-
|Saponification value||187 ||187
|-
|Unsaponifiable matter||4.5–5.5||1.8–2.5
|-
|Free fatty acids||5–15%||0.15–0.2%
|-
|Oryzanol||2.0||1.5–1.8
|-
|Tocopherol||0.15||0.05
|-
|Color (tintometer)||20Y+2.8R||10Y+1.0R
|}
Research
Rice bran oil consumption has been found to significantly decrease total cholesterol (TC), LDL-C and triglyceride (TG) levels.
Uses
Rice bran oil is an edible oil which is used in various forms of food preparation. It is also the basis of some vegetable ghee. Rice bran wax, obtained from rice bran oil, is used as a substitute for carnauba wax in cosmetics, confectionery, shoe creams, and polishing compounds.
Isolated γ-oryzanol from rice bran oil is available in China as an over-the-counter drug, and in other countries as a dietary supplement. There is no meaningful evidence supporting its efficacy for treating any medical condition.
Comparison to other vegetable oils
See also
- Cereal germ
- Bran
- Rice germ oil
- Wheat germ oil
- Wheat bran oil
- Yushō disease