UA Researchers Create Byproducts From Rice, Soybeans

Andrew Proctor and Navam Hettiarachchy, associate professors of food science at the University of Arkansas, are conducting research to develop new products and uses for rice and soybeans, two of Arkansas’ main crops.

Proctor has developed a process to economically extract silica and carbon from rice hull ash. Hulls, which make up 20 percent of the 8 billion pounds of rice grown in Arkansas annually, are burned as an energy source at some rice mills.

Silica gels are used in pharmaceuticals, foods, hygiene products, in brewing, and in paint, among other things. The carbon from rice hull ash can be used for water filtration, vegetable oil processing and other uses.

Hettiarachchy develops new uses for soy and rice proteins in pharmaceuticals, foods, cosmetics and industrial products. Some of her projects include: edible, biodegradable films from soy protein that can be used instead of plastic to wrap foods, soy proteins used as adhesives or as an ingredient in cosmetics, iron-binding protein to add to foods to reduce incidence of iron-deficiency anemia, and rice bran proteins for reducing blood cholesterol for lowering glucose levels for diabetics and as a hypoallergenic substitute for milk and other foods.

Hettiarachchy says polyphenols (natural antioxidents) that exist is rice hulls can be extracted and used in food packaging to help retard spoilage. She has been working with antioxidents for more than 20 years.