CEREAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS, sa.54, ss.419-433, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Purple rice (Oryza sativa L.), an antioxidant and a functional resource for humans, contains anthocyanins. In this study,
germination periods of purple rice (0, 12, 24, 36, and 48 h) were evaluated to assess changes in bioactive compounds,
antioxidant activity, and overall quality parameters. Germination was found to significantly enhance both bioactive components
and antioxidant properties. At 24 h of germination, the highest levels of total anthocyanins (477.78 mg/kg), DPPH
radical scavenging activity (57.1%), and γ-amino-butyric acid (9.64 ± 0.22 mg/100 g) were observed. At 12 h, maximum
values were recorded for flavonoid content (6.69 mg QE/g), ABTS•+ activity (76.99%), and FRAP value (43.83 mg
TE/g). The highest total phenolic content was detected at 48 h of germination. Furthermore, enzymatic saccharification
using α-amylase and α-glucoamylase led to a marked increase in sugar content, including total sugar, reducing sugar, and
glucose, in purple rice extract, with the extent of increase dependent on enzyme incubation time. These findings suggest
that germinated purple rice holds significant potential for enhancing the nutritional quality of functional food products.