Rice bran is known to contain oil. It is known to be the most important
by-product that is used for animal feeding. It is obtained by passing dehulled
grain between gabrassive cone or discs and the different grades of brain obtained
from cone or disc gap settings are generally mixed. Rice bran usually contains
about 140-180g/kg of oil (Osiji 2006) In hamsters addition of the diet of 10
percent dietary fibre from stabilized rice bran and oat bran significantly
reduced the animals plasma cholesterol compared to the control (Kahlon et al;
1990). In repeat
experiment only defatted bran and oat bran lowered the cholesfrol level.
(Haumann, 1989).
Heat stabilized rice bran providing 7 percent dietary fibre
lowered the level of liver free cholesterol and surpassed wheat bran when combined
with 5 percent fish oil in lowering plasma and hepatic triglyceride and hepatic
lipogenetic (Topping Pet al; 1990) The hypocholesterolanic effect of oat bran is due
to its
high content of soluble hemicelluoses. By contrast the hypocholesters— laenic activity of
rice bran oil in human and rats (Raghuran, 1989) is due to the unsaponifiable
matter fraction (Suzuki et al; 1962, Sharama and Rukumini 1988, 1987). Rice bran oil
lowered human blood chloestrol more effectively than did sunflower,
corn and safflower oils (Suzuki et al; 1962).