Effect of Garlic-Onion Paste on the In-Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion of White Rice and Brown Rice

Lim, Qian Ren (2021) Effect of Garlic-Onion Paste on the In-Vitro Gastrointestinal Digestion of White Rice and Brown Rice. Final Year Project (Bachelor), Tunku Abdul Rahman University College.

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Abstract

Rice is one of the main providers of calories to the human body especially in Asian countries like Malaysia. However, rice is a high glycemic index food, which is unsuitable for certain population like diabetic patients. Hence, garlic and onion which have shown to have antidiabetic effect by reducing the breakdown of starch into sugar, were chosen as an alternative regimen to antidiabetic drug, as the drugs can cause side effects after a long period of administration. Therefore, this study is to investigate the effect of garlic, onion and its mixture on the in-vitro digestion of white rice and brown rice. According to researchers, brown rice has long known to have a higher nutritive value such as higher protein, fat, higher antioxidant, vitamins and minerals due to the presence of bran and germ, in comparison with white rice. However, it always comes at a premium price which might discourage some consumers to choose it over white rice. Hence, a survey was done to collect information of the public about their preference and general knowledge on white rice and brown rice, at the same time inquiring about their knowledge about the effect of ingesting garlic and onion together with rice. Results from this study showed that reducing sugar released by brown rice after in-vitro digestion with a mixture of garlic-onion at 1:1 ratio was the lowest. The digested mixture of garlic-onion also showed synergistic effect on its alpha-amylase inhibition activity. Garlic paste showed the highest total phenolic content, while onion paste showed the highest for total flavonoid content, free radical scavenging activity and anti-inflammation properties, after going through the in-vitro digestion. Results of the survey unveiled that majority of respondents prefer white rice over brown rice due to its nicer aroma, taste and texture. However, they clearly know that brown rice has higher nutritive value than white rice, and would like to try brown rice despite its premium price for its health benefits. Besides, the respondents have shown to have insufficient knowledge on the nutritive effect of garlic and onion when cooked and ingested with rice, for example its antidiabetic effect. This study provides a basic insight into the potential of garlic and onion as a dietary recommendation for diabetes patients.