Explore the benefits of rice husk utilization for high-quality protein production, economic gains, and sustainable agricultural development.

Keywords: rice dregs, rice peptide, enzymolysis , physicochemical property, antioxidant activity

Introduction

Rice has always played a crucial role in human development history. Despite its lower yield compared to wheat, rice stands as the world’s primary grain variety, feeding about half of the global population and providing one-fifth of the total caloric intake. As an agricultural powerhouse, China regards rice as its foremost grain, with an average annual production accounting for about 40% of the country’s total grain output, amounting to 190 million tons. However, a significant portion of this production includes early rice, which, due to its high amylose content, results in a less favored texture of cooked rice. Consequently, a substantial amount of early rice, along with broken rice from milling processes and aged rice from storage, is utilized as raw material for fermentation and starch sugar production in industrial settings. Without adequate utilization, such vast quantities of food resources would lead to considerable waste.

Rice Husk: A Valuable Byproduct

Rice husk, the residue left after fermenting and producing rice-based products, primarily comprises starch utilized in industrial processes, with little attention paid to its protein content. As a result, the protein, constituting 40-70% of the husk’s composition and surpassing the protein content in various crops, remains largely untapped. This high-quality plant protein source, free from toxic substances and enzyme inhibitors, is predominantly sold as dry powder to feed factories, thus not fully exploited.

Economic and Environmental Benefits of Utilizing Rice Husk

Contrastingly, extracting high-purity rice protein directly from ordinary rice, which only contains about 8% protein, is not economically feasible. However, utilizing rice husk, even at its lowest protein content of 40%, makes the production of high-purity rice protein economically attractive. Given the rising market value of rice protein due to its excellent characteristics, tapping into this resource can significantly enhance economic benefits while addressing the scarcity of high-quality protein in China. An enterprise that uses rice as a raw material to produce glucose series products, with an annual glucose production of 200,000 tons, generates a considerable amount of rice husk. Leveraging this byproduct not only prevents waste and environmental pollution but also transforms it into high-purity rice protein, turning waste into treasure and creating substantial economic value.

High-Value Products from Rice Husk

Fully exploiting China’s rice husk resources to produce high-value products can increase economic benefits for businesses and solve the country’s high-quality protein deficiency. Developing a range of high-added-value rice husk products could enhance the biological efficacy of rice protein and increase the scientific and technological value of the grain industry. This development is crucial for advancing rice deep processing technologies and promoting the overall growth of the grain industry.

Overview of Peptides

Meaning and Properties of Peptides

Peptides, comprising two or more amino acids linked by peptide bonds, are essential for various complex physiological activities. They play pivotal roles in hormone regulation, nerve functions, cell growth, and reproduction, regulating organ and cellular systems, activating enzyme systems, promoting membrane permeability, influencing specific protein synthesis through DNA transcription or translation, and exerting distinct physiological or pharmacological effects. Peptides offer several advantages over amino acids, including faster absorption, active uptake by the body, low energy consumption during absorption, and the ability to form hundreds of different compounds based on amino acids, providing a broad range of functions.

Conclusion

The comprehensive utilization and future prospects of rice husk not only present opportunities for economic gains but also contribute to solving the protein scarcity issue in China. By developing and utilizing high-value products from rice husk, we can enhance the efficacy of rice protein and the technological advancement of the grain industry, fostering the development of a sustainable and prosperous agricultural sector.

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Original research by Xiong Weijie, Wu Weiguo(Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128)

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