Gamma-oryzanol from rice bran oil – A review

Rice bran oil is unique among edible oil due to its rich source of commercially and nutritionally important phytoceuticals such as, oryzanol, lecithin, tocopherols, and tocotrinols. However, most of these phytoceuticals are removed from the rice bran oil as waste byproducts during the refining process. γ-oryzanol is one of such component having the potential to be used in nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and cosmoceutical preparations. It is a mixture of ferulic acid esters of sterol and triterpene alcohols. It occurs in rice bran oil at a level of 1-2 per cent where it serves as natural antioxidant. The article describes the production of rice bran oil from rice bran and different methods of extraction of γ-oryzanol from rice bran oil. It also reviews the health care properties of γ-oryzanol.