Cooking quality properties and free and bound phenolics content of brown, black, and red rice grains stored at different temperatures for six months

•Storage of rice grains at 40 °C causes increase of hardness.•Storage of rice grains at 40 °C causes increase in free phenolic acids.•Storage for 6 months does not alter anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin contents.

The changes in cooking quality and phenolic composition of whole black and red rice grains stored during six months at different temperatures were evaluated. Brown rice with known cooking quality properties and low phenolic levels was used for purposes comparison. All rice genotypes were stored at 13% moisture content at temperatures of 16, 24, 32, and 40 °C. Cooking time, hardness, free and bound phenolics, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and free radical scavenging capacity were analysed. The traditional rice with brown pericarp exhibited an increase in cooking time and free phenolics content, while rice with black pericarp exhibited a reduction in cooking time after six months of storage at the highest studied temperature of 40 °C. There as increases in ferulic acid levels occurred as a function of storage temperature. Red pericarp rice grains showed decreased antioxidant capacity against ABTS radical for the soluble phenolic fraction with increased time and storage temperature.