Changes in physico-chemical properties of some promising lines / varieties of rice (Oryza sativa L.) after parboiling

Some of the promising lines/ varieties of Rice Research Institute, Kala Shah Kaku, including approved fragrant (Basmati) rice variety i.e. Shaheen Basmati and NIAB-IR9, were used to assess interactive efficacy of parboiling on these varieties/lines and practical expediency of using standardized parboiling technique for improving nutritional, milling and cooking qualities of these lines/ varieties. For the purpose, white milled and parboiled rice samples often lines/ varieties were analyzed for nutritional quality parameters such as ash, dry matter, crude fat, crude protein, crude fiber, vitamin B-6; milling quality parameters such as brown rice, total milling recovery, head rice recovery, ratio of broken grains; and cooking quality parameters such as curling and bursting. The study showed significant variation in efficacy of parboiling to different varieties/lines. The results clearly showed average increase in mineral contents in terms of ash% increase, dry matter, longer cooked grain length and considerable rise in vitamin B-6 contents, higher total milling recovery and head rice recovery in almost all the samples. While crude fiber, crude protein and crude fat was decreased non-significantly. Furthermore, quality reducing factors such as number of broken grains, bursting and curling percentage of cooked rice were also found reduced significantly in parboiled samples. It may, therefore, be suggested that parboiling offers a better alternative to conserve and increase nutritional, milling and cooking quality values of rice varieties/ lines. Less percentage of broken, burst and curled grains may result in augmented net income.