Food industry shift to use modern techniques and non-traditional components in the production of traditional foods for maximizing the nutritional value of these products inductive meet growing consumer appetites for this type of food. Scientists have discovered that biological compounds with antioxidant effects, such as phenolic and polyphenols compounds have a role in the prevention and treatment of the body from heart disease, cancer tumors and some diseases of aging, such as Alzheimer's. The black rice, a variety tinted widespread in the countries of Asia, and newly cultivated in Egypt, a distinct source of these compounds vital antioxidant. This research aims to field and technological evaluation of black rice variety which newly transferred to Egypt, and the production of sponge cake with a high content of antioxidants using rice flour black.
Field experiments were conducted for four successive rice growing seasons
( 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013) at the experiential Farm of Rice Research and Training Center (RRTC), Sakha, Kafer El-Sheikh, to study agronomic characters as well as grain quality characters of black rice variety as compared to different rice varieties (Egyptian Yasmine and Pusa Basmati 1 as aromatic varieties and Sakha105 as a high yielding variety). Laboratory studies were carried out at RRTC and at Food Technology Research Institute, Giza, Egypt to evaluate quality of black rice flour.
Concerning agronomic and grain quality characters, black rice variety gave the highest values of grain width mm, head rice%, elongation % and protein content%. On the other hand, black rice variety recorded the lowest values of plant height (cm), heading date (days), panicle length (cm), no. of panicles hill-1, panicle weight (g), no. of filled grains panicles-1, grain yield t ha-1 andgrain length mm. The results showed also that black rice flour had higher content of protein, phosphorus, iron, total dietary fiber, ash and ether extract than wheat flour (72% extraction). Black rice flour was superior as compared to wheat flour in terms of antioxidant content. Replacement of 6% black rice flour with wheat flour increases each of resistance of extension (B.U.), extensibility (mm), proportional number and energy value (cm2) of cake dough. It also increases protein content (%), total dietary fiber content (%) and ash content (%) of cake.
This study can guide in the selection and production of rice varieties with enhanced nutritional qualities, suggesting the use of black rice variety in food industry.