Effect of low‐pressure plasma on bamboo rice and its flour

Abstract

Nonthermal plasma (NTP) has recently gained considerable attention for its applications in agricultural and food products’ sterilization, decontamination, and modification of food surfaces. This work is aimed at studying the effect of low‐pressure cold plasma on soaking, cooking, and the morphological and pasting properties of bamboo rice that is vastly considered for its medicinal and bioactive components. Bamboo rice was treated with low‐pressure plasma at 15, 20, and 25 W/cm² for 5 and 10 min. It was found that the effect of NTP enhanced water absorption in rice and was able to reduce the cooking time by 12 min. A SEM examination exposed the fissures on the bamboo rice surface after plasma treatment. The pasting properties of the raw and the plasma‐treated rice flour were analyzed and it was found that the final viscosity decreased to 306 cP for the plasma‐treated flour. Plasma‐treated (25 W/cm² for 10 min) bamboo rice showed a rise in β‐sitosterol content by the GC‐MS analysis. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Bamboo rice, a traditional variety of rice, has larger health‐benefiting biocomponents, which were retained while reducing the cooking time by cold plasma treatment. Cooking, soaking, and the morphological and pasting properties of plasma‐exposed bamboo rice were presented. This investigation may assist in food product development by integrating bamboo rice and might also help in promoting the consumption of bamboo seeds as a substitute for white rice.