Major nutritional differences among selected local, foreign and diabetic rice varieties consumed in South East Nigeria

Price differences among different categories of rice consumed in Nigerian have necessitated the need to investigate some useful parameters that could prove their nutritional worth. Three each of Nigerian local varieties (Abaomege Kpurukpuru, Izzi 306 and Ikwo Adaigbo), foreign processed types (Sarina, Super Eagle and Mama Africa) and very expensive special imported types (assumed as diabetic rice) (Golden Penny, Brown Basmati and White Basmati) were analyzed for some important constituents including protein, amylose and vitamin A using standard methods. Brown Basmati, Izzi 306, Ikwo Adaigbo and Mama Africa had comparatively high protein contents with the mean values of 9.13 ± 0.014, 8.80 ± 0.008, 8.62 ± 0.049 and 8.49 ± 0.007, respectively. Incidentally, the three assumed diabetic rice types showed extraordinarily high percentage amylose contents (28.7 ±0.141 to 31.7± 9.141) relative to others. On the other hand, only Ikwo Adaigbo showed a presence of vitamin A with mean value 0.015 ± 0.000 (μg/g). In the same vein, significant variations (p \u003c0.05) were also observed between the varieties in other important components. The inexplicably high amylose contents in the assumed diabetic rice varieties and the presence of Vitamin A in Ikwo Adaigbo were the major distinguishing factors between the rice types.