Biochemical and nutritional analysis of rice beer of North East India

Biochemical properties of five different rice varieties of North East India and a starter culture cake (ASC1) collected from Arunachal Pradesh used in the process of rice beer preparation were analyzed. Further, microbial count of the starter culture cake and nutritional composition of the five laboratory prepared rice beer samples were evaluated. The crude protein, amylose, amylopectin, moisture, crude fat, starch, total soluble sugar, reducing sugar and non reducing sugar contents of rice varieties were estimated. Various biochemical parameters of ASC1 were also determined. Increase with time in the total acidity, volatile acidity, and alcohol % of rice beer was observed. The final recorded alcohol % value of rice beer was in the range of 12-13%. Minerals like calcium, sodium, potassium, iron and phosphorous were estimated with phosphorous having the highest content of 78.108 mg/100 ml. Crude and soluble protein, and vitamin C contents were also analyzed. The antiradical activity (Inhibition %) of the rice beer samples was in the range of 2.479-22.31%. Saccharomyces cerevisiae isolated from ASC1 was found to be the major organism responsible for rice beer fermentation. Highest CFU count of 19 was observed in MRSA medium which also indicates the prevalence of LAB in ASC1.