12^th World Pharma Congress

North-East region of India is rich in production of colored and scented rice, a hulled grain with a distinctive red or purple color in addition to light grey on its bran. Of all the colored rice, especially black rice has long been consumed and is considered as a healthy food in Korea. Although, the colored rice is hard in its cooking texture, they possess beneficial effects of colored pigment, the naturally occurring colored substances like anthocyanin that belongs to flavanoids family which is reported to combat against the damaging effect of toxic free radicals and has great pharmacological property. Equally interesting is this food for the elimination of a series of other problems including obesity, edema, hypertension, diseases of kidneys and diabetes by releasing glucose in a fairly moderate way. The presence of oryzanol in the whole rice also ensures its affectivity in reducing cholesterol level (LDL) in blood. With its potent bio-active compounds such as phenolic compounds, tannins, lignin, oryzanol, tocotrienols, tocopherols, phenyl propanoids, and flavonoids, the colored rice(s) are responsible for counteracting wide range of illnesses.