Influence of electron beam irradiation on storage stability and sensory properties of brown rice

Abstract

Brown rice is a caryopsis produced after husking of rice, containing various nutrients and functional factors, but its quality is more likely to deteriorate during storage. Thus, in this article, the impact of various irradiation doses of electron beam irradiation (EBI) on storage stability and sensory properties of brown rice were studied. The results indicated that no significant alteration in the moisture content of brown rice after low-dose EBI treatment (p > 0.05). During storage, the lipase activity, as well as the growth rate of fatty acid value of irradiated brown rice decreased. Furthermore, the propagation rate of viable bacteria in brown rice was inhibited after irradiated. Meanwhile, compared with non-irradiated brown rice, the yellowness index and amylose content of irradiated brown rice increased slowly with the prolongation of storage time. Furthermore, both the catalase activity value and germination capacity of brown rice decreased, ultimately resulting in the loss of germination capacity for all samples after 180 days of storage. Low-dose EBI treatment has the potential to postpone the decline in brown rice quality and preserve its sensory attributes. The findings will provide a new technical route for improving grain storage quality and prolonging storage period.