The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of germination time on the gammaaminobutyric
acid (GABA) content of germinated aromatic paddy and red rice and to develop yogurt
with enhanced levels of GABA. Germinated red rice was prepared by soaking in water, using a rice-towater
ratio of 1:3 (w/v) for 24 h and leaving in darkness for 48 h to germinate, while collecting samples
every 8 h. The GABA content of germinated grains was determined using high performance liquid
chromatography (HPLC). The results indicated that the GABA content of grains after germination
significantly increased compared to that of control grains and the optimum condition providing the
highest content of GABA (21.32 mg/100 g DW) was at 32 h after germination. The yogurt formula was
developed and 30% germinated red rice flour prepared using the optimum conditions was selected to
add to the formula. The enriched yogurt contained 4.09 mg/100 g of GABA, which was significantly
higher than that of the control yogurt, in which GABA was not detected.
Key words: GABA, germination, aromatic red rice, yogurt