Rice-bran oil: An emerging source of functional oil

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is the major food crops in the world and accounting for around 20% of the dietary energy intake of the global population. Rice bran (RB), the outer brown layer of rice, is one of the main by-products during milling. It is a rice source of rice-bran oil (RBO) with good fatty acid profile and phytonutrients like oryzanols, tocopherols, tocotrienols, phytosterols, and importantly dietary fibers. These bioactive compounds possess cardioprotective, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, and antitumor properties. RBO has become an increasingly popular vegetable oil because of its very high burning point, neutral taste, and delicate flavor. RBO has gained many food, industrial, technological, and pharmaceutical applications due to its distinctive properties and nutritional value. This review paper deals with comprehensive information on extraction methods, oil stabilization, existing applications, and health benefits of RBO. Practical applications RBO is one of the healthiest edible oils due to balanced fatty acids profile, gamma-oryzanols, and tocopherols which may assist in lowering oxidative stress, cholesterol, hypertension, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases. For extraction of RBO, innovative and green extraction techniques are a suitable alternative of conventional techniques for the edible oil industry due to their efficiency in the extraction process. The constituents of RBO has also gained its application in numerous food applications including as emulsifier, in cooking, bakery products, milk and milk products, and meat products.