Abstract:To promote the development of whole grain foods and low glycemic index (GI) staple products, this study systematically compared the nutritional composition, textural properties, and in vitro digestion characteristics of eight indica brown rice varieties with milled rice. Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed in fat, protein, and dietary fiber contents among different brown rice varieties. All brown rice varieties exhibited significantly higher (P<0.05) γ-aminobutyric acid, total free phenolics, and total free flavonoids compared to milled rice, accompanied by superior antioxidant capacities. The maximum DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities in brown rice were approximately fourfold and threefold higher than those in milled rice, respectively. The cooked brown rice demonstrated significantly greater hardness (P<0.05), with the softest brown rice variety still showing approximately 1.5 times higher hardness than milled rice. The estimated glycemic index (eGI) of brown rice ranged from medium to high GI levels, with Zhongzao 39 exhibiting the lowest eGI value (61.48), equivalent to 0.8 times that of milled rice. Significant negative correlations (P<0.01) were identified between eGI values and fat, protein, and dietary fiber contents. These findings suggest that brown rice holds substantial potential for enhancing nutritional value and developing functional low-GI foods, while providing theoretical support for processing optimization, formula design, and health function evaluation of brown rice products.