Correlation of tocopherol, tocotrienol, γ-oryzanol and total polyphenol content in rice bran with different antioxidant capacity assays

The relationship between antioxidant capacity and levels of various antioxidants in rice bran and brown rice powder was evaluated. Three different varieties of Venezuelan rice, namely, Cimarrón, Zeta 15 and FONAIAP-1, were studied using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 2,2′-azinobis-3-ethylbenzotiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) to measure antioxidant capacity. The results showed that rice varieties contained different levels and combinations of total polyphenols, γ-oryzanol, α- and γ-tocopherols and α-, γ- and δ-tocotrienols. Compared to brown rice powder, rice bran contained most of the antioxidants and had correspondingly higher values of antioxidant capacity. Principal components analysis and multiple regression on the data indicate that FRAP was sensitive to polyphenols and total tocotrienols, while ORAC was sensitive to polyphenols and total tocopherols. ABTS was the least sensitive of all assays tested. Thus, results from antioxidant capacity assays must be interpreted with caution particularly in complex systems and that further study is necessary to define more precisely the nature of the relevant chemical reactions.