Exploring the antioxidant and prebiotic potential of fermented Thai jasmine rice beverage: An in vitro study
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Abstract
Background: Amazake is a traditional Japanese non-alcoholic rice beverage produced through koji fermentation and recognized as a functional food. Thai jasmine rice (Oryza sativa L. KDML 105) is rich in health-promoting nutrients and bioactive compounds, yet no studies have explored the health benefits of fermented Thai jasmine rice beverages.
Objectives: To investigate the health-promoting properties of fermented Jasmine rice amazake (JAS-AMA), focusing on phenolic and flavonoid content, antioxidant capacity, prebiotic effects, and antipathogenic activity against bacteria.
Materials and methods: An in vitro study compared JAS-AMA with nonfermented Thai jasmine rice (JAS-SYR) and traditional Japanese amazake (JP-AMA). Total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, DPPH and ABTS antioxidant assays, and prebiotic activity against Lactobacillus plantarum and Escherichia coli were evaluated using isomaltooligosaccharide (IMO) as a prebiotic reference.
Results: The total phenolic content of JAS-AMA was significantly higher than that of JAS-SYR (28±0.44 compared with 3.0±0.24×10-3 mg GAE/μL extract, p<0.05), but comparable to that of JP-AMA (34±1.3×10-3 mg GAE/μL extract). However, the total flavonoid content of both JAS-AMA and JAS-SYR was significantly lower than JP-AMA (63±6.80 and 12±1.7, respectively, compared with 128±22 x 10-7 mg CE/μL extract, p<0.05). DPPH assay showed comparable antioxidant activity between JAS-AMA and JP-AMA (70.34% and 65.71% inhibition, respectively), both significantly higher than JAS-SYR (20.14% inhibition, p<0.05), whereas ABTS assay revealed significantly lower antioxidant activity in both JAS-AMA and JAS-SYR, lower than JP-AMA (53.57% and 66.05% compared with 95.42% inhibition, p<0.05). The maximum OD600 of L. plantarum grown with JAS-AMA (2.0025±0.10) was comparable to that of glucose (1.8050±0.1882) and significantly higher than that of IMO alone (1.4213±0.0925, p<0.05), suggesting a notable prebiotic effect. No significant differences in E. coli growth were observed across any substrate condition (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Jasmine rice amazake demonstrates comparable phenolic content and partial antioxidant activity to traditional Japanese amazake, supporting its potential as a functional beverage and encouraging further development using other rice varieties.
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Personal views expressed by the contributors in their articles are not necessarily those of the Journal of Associated Medical Sciences, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Chiang Mai University.
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