Abstract

Background: Rice is the most available and consumed food in the world, and is considered one nutritious food. Due to the same reason, rice is the popular food in Saudi Arabia, being consumed with vegetables and non-vegetable recipes.

Methods: Taking the nutritive value of rice into consideration, the metal analysis was performed, and both essential and heavy elements were detected in seven varieties of rice, viz, Paddy Rice, Brown Rice, White Rice, Broken Rice, Parboiled Rice, Black Rice and Red Cargo Rice. Among the heavy elements arsenic, cadmium, iron, lead and mercury were analysed and the concentration of these elements was found within the value of tolerance.

Results: The maximum concentration of all these elements was found below the limits set by NSU and the FDA. The essential elements, which were analyzed in all seven varieties of rice, include cobalt, magnesium, copper, selenium, manganese and zinc.

Conclusion: All these elements were found in rice quantity, required for the normal metabolic activities of the body. The varieties of rice analyzed have essential element concentrations in a normal range.

Keywords: Rice, heavy metals, essential metals, ICP-AES, metabolic activities, fertilizers.