Antihypertensive Effect of Pre-germinated Brown Rice in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

We examined the effects of pre-germinated brown rice on hypertension and biochemical analysis of blood in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) fed a diet including 40% pre-germinated brown rice. A significant antihypertensive effect (p <0.01) was found from day 10 of food intake, compared to controls. At completion of the test period (8 weeks), SBP in the control and test groups were 207.4 ± 5.3 and 151.6 ± 4.5 mmHg, respectively, showing a significant (p <0.001) and strong antihypertensive effect of pre-germinated brown rice. The cholesterol levels in the control and test groups were 45.3 ± 5.4 and 37.5 ± 3.9 mg/dL, respectively, which also showed a significant difference (p < 0.01). Taken together, pre-germinated brown rice has an antihypertensive effect and decreases serum cholesterol in SHRs. These effects may be due to complex actions of various components abundantly found in the rice, including γ-aminobutyric acid, dietary fiber, phytic acid and ferulic acid.