Nutra-pharmaceutical potential of Sri Lankan rice: a review

Abstract

Abstract Rice (Oryza sativa L.) has been the dietary staple of Sri Lankans since ancient times. The native or indigenous varieties that were cultivated historically have evolved across generations, into the traditional varieties recognized today. These traditional varieties are known for their superior nutritional and health benefits compared to the improved varieties which were introduced to the country in the mid 19 s upon selective breeding and hybridization. Traditional rice has been used in ethnic and Ayurveda medicine as a direct medicinal, nutritional or dietary supplement to treat a vast number of ailments. In the past few decades, the nutra–pharmaceutical potential of traditional and improved Sri Lankan rice varieties has been extensively studied in-vitro. The health benefits of Sri Lankan rice include the presence of bioactive constituents that promote antioxidant defence, and antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. This narrative review summarizes and evaluates the published scientific evidence for the last twenty-five years on nutra-phamacutical potential of Sri Lankan rice in-vitro, highlights the role of Sri Lankan rice in ethnic medicine, and discusses total nutra-phamaceutical content and associated health benefits in regard to; variety types, grain pericarp colours and post-harvest modifications such as milling, polishing and parboiling. The majority of studies demonstrate significantly higher levels of nutra-pharmaceutical potential in traditional over improved varieties, bran intact/ whole grains over polished rice, and red over white pericarp grains as well as the impact of agrochemical practices during cultivation.

Keywords

• Sri Lankan rice
• Oryza sativa L.
• Traditional rice
• Improved rice
• Bioactive compounds
• Nutraceuticals