Purification of soluble rice bran fiber using ultrafiltration technology

Defatted rice bran (DRB), an excellent source of soluble rice bran fiber (SRBF), is a byproduct of rice bran oil extraction from whole rice bran. The common process for purifying SRBF extracted from DRB, dialysis and alcohol precipitation, is a complex process. Ultrafiltration technology was evaluated as an alternative process. Membranes of molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) 1, 5, and 10 kDa were used to purify the SRBF at 100 kPa. The apparent viscosity and °Brix of the SRBF solution increased after ultrafiltration, which demonstrated that the SRBF solution was concentrated during the ultrafiltration process. The apparent viscosity of the retentate collected in the ultrafiltration unit with the 1 kDa MWCO membrane had a higher (P < 0.05) viscosity than those collected in the 5 and 10 kDa MWCO membrane. The SRBF solution purified with 1, 5, and 10 kDa MWCO had similar concentrations of arabinose, galactose, and glucose, while the retentate of SRBF obtained from 10 kDa MWCO membrane had slightly lower xylose concentration than that resulting from 1 kDa MWCO. The 10 kDa MWCO membrane at a pressure of 100 kPa more effectively purified the SRBF solution than did 1 and 5 kDa MWCO membranes at the same pressure.