A comprehensive review on pulse protein fractionation and extraction: processes, functionality, and food applications.

The increasing world population requires the production of nutrient-rich foods. Protein is an essential macronutrient for healthy individuals. Interest in using plant proteins in foods has increased in recent years due to their sustainability and nutritional benefits. Dry and wet protein fractionation methods have been developed to increase protein yield, purity, and functional and nutritional qualities. This review explores the recent developments in pretreatments and fractionation processes used for producing pulse protein concentrates and isolates. Functionality differences between pulse proteins obtained from different fractionation methods and the use of fractionated pulse proteins in different food applications are also critically reviewed. Pretreatment methods improve the de-hulling efficiency of seeds prior to fractionation. Research on wet fractionation methods focuses on improving sustainability and functionality of proteins while studies on dry methods focus on increasing protein yield and purity. Hybrid methods produced fractionated proteins with higher yield and purity while also improving protein functionality and process sustainability. Dry and hybrid fractionated proteins have comparable or superior functionalities relative to wet fractionated proteins. Pulse protein ingredients are successfully incorporated into various food formulations with notable changes in their sensory properties. Future studies could focus on optimizing the fractionation process, improving protein concentrate palatability, and optimizing formulations using pulse proteins.

From wheat grain to flour: a review of potential sources of enteric pathogen contamination in wheat milled products.

The number of food safety issues linked to wheat milled products have increased in the past decade. These incidents were mainly caused by the contamination of wheat-based products by enteric pathogens. This manuscript is the first of a two-part review on the status of the food safety of wheat-based products. This manuscript focused on reviewing the available information on the potential pre-harvest and post-harvest sources of microbial contamination, and potential foodborne pathogens present in wheat-based products. Potential pre-harvest sources of microbial contamination in wheat included animal activity, water, soil, and manure. Improper grain storage practices, pest activity, and improperly cleaned and sanitized equipment are potential sources of post-harvest microbial contamination for wheat-based foods. Raw wheat flour products and flour-based products are potentially contaminated with enteric pathogens such as Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STECs), and Salmonella at low concentrations. Wheat grains and their derived products (i.e., flours) are potential vehicles for foodborne illness in humans due to the presence of enteric pathogens. A more holistic approach is needed for assuring the food safety of wheat-based products in the farm-to-table continuum. Future developments in the wheat supply chain should also be aimed at addressing this emerging food safety threat.

Enteric pathogen survival, food safety incidents, and potential mitigation strategies to address microbial contamination in wheat-based foods: a review.

Wheat-based foods has emerged as another potential vehicle for foodborne illness in humans. The recent occurrence of recalls involving wheat-based foods requires a full understanding of how these pathogens thrive in these food products and developing potential intervention strategies to address pathogen contamination. This manuscript is the second of a two-part review covering the status of the food safety of wheat-based products. In this manuscript, available information on the survival of enteric foodborne pathogens, food safety issues, and potential pathogen reduction steps on wheat-based foods were reviewed. Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and Salmonella are capable of surviving in wheat flours and grains for extended periods (≤ 2 years). Based on the food safety issues linked to wheat flour, the main enteric pathogens of concern are STEC (O157, O121, O26, and O103) and Salmonella. Diverse interventions such as tempering treatments, thermal treatments, and non-thermal technologies all effectively reduced the pathogenic loads of wheat grains and wheat flours (2 to 6 log CFU/g reduction). Addressing pathogen contamination of wheat-based foods is a major concern for the milling industry. Future studies could be focused on improving pathogen reduction performance and validating their effects against diverse product and process conditions.

Dry fractionation process operations in the production of protein concentrates: A review.

The market for plant proteins is expanding rapidly as the negative impacts of animal agriculture on the environment and resources become more evident. Plant proteins offer competitive advantages in production costs, energy requirements, and sustainability. Conventional plant-protein extraction is water and chemical-intensive, posing environmental concerns. Dry fractionation is an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly process for protein separation, preserving protein's native functionality. Cereals and pulses are excellent sources of plant proteins as they are widely grown worldwide. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the dry fractionation process utilized for different seeds to obtain protein-rich fractions with high purity and functionality. Pretreatments, such as dehulling and defatting, are known to enhance the protein separation efficiency. Factors, such as milling speed, mill classifier speed, feed rate, seed type, and hardness, were crucial for obtaining parent flour of desired particle size distribution during milling. The air classification or electrostatic separation settings are crucial in determining the quality of the separated protein. The cut point in air classification is targeted based on the starch granule size of the seed material. Optimization of these operations, applied to different pulses and seeds, led to higher yields of proteins with higher purity. Dual techniques, such as air classification and electrostatic separation, enhance protein purity. The yield of the protein concentrates can be increased by recycling the coarse fractions. Further research is necessary to improve the quality, purity, and yield of protein concentrates to enable more efficient use of plant proteins to meet global protein demands.

Influence of ozone treatment on functional and rheological characteristics of food products: an updated review.

In this milieu, ozone technology has emerged as an avant-garde non-thermal mode of disinfection with potential applications in the food industry. This eco-friendly technology has a comprehendible adeptness in replacing alternative chemical sanitizers and is recognized as a generally safe disinfectant for fruits and vegetables. Several researchers have been focusing on the biochemical impacts of ozone on different quantitative and qualitative aspects of fruits and vegetables. A collection of those works is presented in this review highlighting the effect of ozone on the functional, antioxidant, and rheological properties of food. This can be a benevolent tool for discovering the processing states of ozone applications and ensuing influence on safety and quality attributes of previously studied foods and opening further research areas. It extends shelf life and never leaves any harmful residues on the product since it decomposes to form oxygen. It was seen that the impact on a specific property of food was dependent on the ozone concentration and treatment time, and the adverse effects of ozone exposure can be alleviated once the processing conditions are optimized. The present review can be used as a baseline for designing different food processing operations involving ozone.

Influence of protein content and storage temperature on the particle morphology and flowability characteristics of milk protein concentrate powders.

Milk protein concentrate (MPC) powders are widely used as ingredients for food product formulations due to their nutritional profile and sensory attributes. Processing parameters, storage conditions, and composition influences the flow properties of MPC powders. This study investigated the bulk and shear flow properties of 70.3, 81.5, and 88.1% (wt/wt, protein content) MPC after storage for 12 wk at 25 and 40°C. Additionally, the morphological and functional changes of the MPC powders were investigated and correlated with flowability. After 12 wk of storage at 25°C, the basic flow energy values significantly increased from 510 to 930 mJ as the protein content increased from 70 to 90% (wt/wt). Flow rate index was significantly higher for samples with high protein content. Dynamic flow tests indicated that MPC powders with high protein content displayed higher permeability. Shear tests confirmed that the samples stored at 25°C were more flowable than samples stored at 40°C. Likewise, the higher-protein content samples showed poor shear flow behavior. The results indicated that MPC powders stored at 25°C had less cohesiveness and better flow characteristics than MPC powders stored at 40°C. Overall, the MPC powders had markedly different flow properties due to their difference in composition and morphology. This study delivers insights on the particle morphology and flow behavior of MPC powders.

Significance of composition and particle size on the shear flow properties of wheat flour.

BACKGROUND: Size-based fractionation of flour particles is an important process in wheat milling. Inter-particle cohesion could affect the dynamic separation process and result in loss in throughput. This study quantifies the effect of particle properties that includes physical and chemical characteristics on the shear flow behavior of wheat flour. RESULTS: The cohesion and flow function values of wheat flour at three moisture contents (10%, 12%, and 14%), three particle sizes (75-106, 45-75, and <45 µm) and three sifter loads (0.5, 1.0, and 1.0 kPa) were significantly different (P < 0.05). The triggering moisture content and particle size where the flowability shifts from 'easy flowing' to 'very cohesive' were found to be 12% (wet basis) and 45 µm, respectively. CONCLUSION: The high correlation observed between the chemical composition (damaged starch, protein, and fat) on the physical (bulk and tapped densities) and flow properties (cohesion, flow function, and angle of internal friction) demonstrates that chemical composition significantly contributes towards the differences in dynamic flowability of wheat flours. In addition, fat composition had a significant effect on the differences in flowability of wheat flours due to the increased inter-particulate cohesion. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

A review on flow characterization methods for cereal grain-based powders.

Flow difficulties during handling, storage, and processing are common in cereal grain-based powder industries. The many studies that focus on the flow properties of powders can be classified as flow indicators, shear properties, and dynamic flow properties. The non-uniformity of physical and chemical characteristics of the individual particles that make up the bulk solid of cereal grain-based powders adds complexity to the characterization of flow behavior. Even so, knowledge of flow behavior is critical to the design of productive and cost-effective equipment for handling and processing of these powders. Because many factors influence flow, a single property/index value may not satisfactorily quantify the flow or no-flow of powders. For powders of biological origin, chemical composition and environmental factors such as temperature and relative humidity complicate flow characterization. This review focuses on the specific flow characteristics that directly affect powder flow during handling, processing, and storage.

Acidic water tempering and heat treatment, a hurdle approach to reduce wheat Salmonella load during tempering and its effects on flour quality.

The cultivation and processing of wheat render it susceptible to microbial contamination from varied sources. Hence, pathogens such as Salmonella can contaminate wheat grains, which poses a food safety risk in wheat-based products. This risk is displayed by the incidence of foodborne illness outbreaks linked to Salmonella-contaminated wheat flour and flour-based products. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of combining acidic water and heat treatment in reducing the Salmonella load of hard red spring (HRS) wheat grains during tempering. Effective treatments were then evaluated for their effects on wheat flour quality. Tempering with sodium bisulfate (SBS), lactic acid (LA), and citric acid (CA) at 15% w/v alone reduced (p < 0.001) wheat Salmonella load by 3.15, 3.23, and 2.91 log CFU/g, respectively. Heat treatment (55 °C) reduced (p < 0.001) wheat Salmonellaload by 4.1 log CFU/g after 24 h of tempering. Combining both tempering and heat treatments resulted in a greater reduction in Salmonella load as non-detectable levels (<2 log CFU/g) of Salmonella in the wheat grains were obtained after 12 h of tempering with LA (15%) + heat. A similar result were achieved for both SBS (15%) + heat and CA (15%) + heat treatments after 18 h of tempering. Applying the combined treatments in HRS wheat grains resulted in comparable wheat flour baking (volume, texture, and crumb structure) and physicochemical properties (rheology and composition) relative to the control (tempering with water alone). The results from this study has the potential to be utilized for developing more effective methods for improving the food safety of wheat flour against Salmonella contamination.

Advances in the novel and green-assisted techniques for extraction of bioactive compounds from millets: A comprehensive review.

Millets are rich in nutritional and bioactive compounds, including polyphenols and flavonoids, and have the potential to combat malnutrition and various diseases. However, extracting these bioactive compounds can be challenging, as conventional methods are energy-intensive and can lead to thermal degradation. Green-assisted techniques have emerged as promising methods for sustainable and efficient extraction. This review explores recent trends in employing green-assisted techniques for extracting bioactive compounds from millets, and potential applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The objective is to evaluate and comprehend the parameters involved in different extraction methods, including energy efficiency, extraction yield, and the preservation of compound quality. The potential synergies achieved by integrating multiple extraction methods, and optimizing extraction efficiency for millet applications are also discussed. Among several, Ultrasound and Microwave-assisted extraction stand out for their rapidity, although there is a need for further research in the context of minor millets. Enzyme-assisted extraction, with its low energy input and ability to handle complex matrices, holds significant potential. Pulsed electric field-assisted extraction, despite being a non-thermal approach, requires further optimization for millet-specific applications, are few highlights. The review emphasizes the importance of considering specific compound characteristics, extraction efficiency, purity requirements, and operational costs when selecting an ideal technique. Ongoing research aims to optimize novel extraction processes for millets and their byproducts, offering promising applications in the development of millet-based nutraceutical food products. Therefore, the current study benefits researchers and industries to advance extraction research and develop efficient, sustainable, and scalable techniques to extract bioactive compounds from millets.

Phage Biocontrol Effectively Reduces Contamination of Wheat with Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli O121 and O26 Without Adverse Effects on Flour Quality.

Contamination of wheat flours with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) is a concern for the milling industry. Milling-specific interventions are needed to address this food safety hazard. The objectives for this study were to determine the efficacy of bacteriophage treatment in reducing wheat STEC contamination during tempering, and assess its effects on flour milling and baking quality. Bacteriophage solutions were prepared by mixing sterile water with the bacteriophage treatment at the following levels: 1 × 106 (0.1%), 2.5 × 106 (0.25%), 5 × 106 (0.5%), 1 × 107 (1.0%), and 1 × 108 (10%) PFU/g wheat dosage. Sterile water (0%) was used as the control. Predried wheat grains were inoculated with STEC (O121 and O26) at 5.0 and 6.0 log CFU/g to restore its original moisture content followed by resting for 24 h. Inoculated grains were then tempered (16% moisture, 24 h) using the prepared bacteriophage solutions. Grains were sampled at 0.5, 1, 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 h during tempering to determine STEC concentration. The effects of the phage solutions on the flour milling and baking quality were also tested. Tempering time, bacteriophage dose, and their interaction had significant effects on phage efficacy (P < 0.05), with better reductions observed at longer tempering times and higher bacteriophage doses. The use of phage solutions reduced (P < 0.05) wheat STEC concentration after tempering, with the 10% treatment (3.2 logs) achieving ahigher reduction than the 1% (2.4 logs) treatment under similar phage preparation. Phage tempering (including at the highest concentration examined, i.e., 10%) produced wheat flours with comparable quality to the control. Phage-treated wheat flour resulted in breads with finer crumb structure, and comparable texture compared to the control. Phage tempering is a viable intervention for wheat milling as it reduced STEC loads of wheat with no detrimental effects to flour milling and baking quality.

Bread-making properties of different pulse flours in composites with refined wheat flour.

There has been a growing demand for pulses due to the nutrition, health benefits, and agronomical advantages, along with the recommendation of international organizations to diversify the use of pulses. Lentil, yellow pea, and chickpea were studied for their effect on the quality of the bread when incorporated into refined wheat flour. The pulse grains were roller milled into different particle sizes (small: 44-59 µm, medium: 70-85 µm, and large: 95-104 µm) with similar composition, and each refined pulse flour was incorporated in refined wheat flour at levels of 5, 12.5, and 20% (wt/wt). The flours were characterized for particle size distribution, starch damage, proximate composition, water retention, and dough mixing properties, followed by baking test and texture analysis. The particle size of the pulse flours did not significantly affect the bread volume or the texture, while increasing the pulse flour incorporation decreased the bread specific volume from 5.0 to 3.4 cm3 /g and the hardness of the bread increased from 3.9 to 9.9 N at the maximum incorporation level. The crust color darkened as pulse flour incorporation was increased, while the effect on crumb color was marginable. Among the three pulses, chickpea performed better compared to lentil and yellow pea, and yellow pea resulted in bread with lower volume at all levels of incorporation. Enriched bread can be produced by incorporating pulse flours at up to 12.5% (wt/wt) without significant effect on the quality of bread, with chickpeas possessing better baking properties than yellow pea or lentil.

Investigating the Contribution of Blending on the Dough Rheology of Roller-Milled Hard Red Wheat.

The flour functionality and particle size distribution of wheat flour obtained on roller milling are dependent on the type of wheat, tempering conditions, and milling conditions. In this study, the impact of the tempering conditions (moisture and time) on the chemical and rheological properties of flour from blends of hard red wheat were analyzed. The wheat blends B1-25:75 (hard red spring (HRS)/hard red winter (HRW)), B2-50:50, and B3-75:25, which were tempered to 14%, 16%, and 18% for 16, 20, and 24 h, respectively, were milled using a laboratory-scale roller mill (Buhler MLU-202). Protein, damaged starch, and particle characteristics were influenced by blending, tempering, and milling streams. For all the blends, the protein content varied significantly among the break flour streams; the damaged starch content varied greatly in the reduction streams. The increased damaged starch content of the reduction streams proportionally increased water absorption (WA). Higher proportions of HRS in the blends significantly decreased the pasting temperature of the dough, as measured using Mixolab. Principal component analysis proved that the protein content was the key determinant in particle characteristics, WA, and pasting properties of the flour, especially in blends with a higher proportion of HRS.

Significance of different milling methods on white proso millet flour physicochemical, rheological, and baking properties.

Proso millet is a nutritious, sustainable, and gluten free food which is currently underutilized. They can be incorporated into the grain industry and provide much needed healthy alternatives. Efficient grinding method should be adopted for easy incorporation. This study aimed to investigate the effect of three different methods of grinding namely, roller milling (RM), pin milling (PM), and hammer milling (HM) on proso millet flour rheology and baking properties for food application. The milling flow sheet was developed toward the production of the quality whole grain flour. The particle size distribution of all the flours showed bi-modal distribution except for the RM flour. The PM produced the flour with the finest particles with geometric mean diameter of 82 µm. The study also revealed that starch damage in the PM flour (4.64%) was higher than RM (2.46%) and HM flour (2.51%). The nutritional composition was not significantly affected by different grinding methods. Pasting properties of the flour were also affected by the grinding method applied. Rapid Visco Analysis profile showed pin mill flour to have a higher peak viscosity (PV) (2,295 cP) compared to HM (2,065 cP) and RM flour (2,130 cP). Finally, this study demonstrated that the production of bread from proso millet flour with desirable quality and texture is possible. The grinding method did not affect the specific volume of bread loaves and C-cell characteristics. The specific volume of the breads ranged from 2.40 to 2.52 cm3 /g. This study will help in promoting and producing value-added proso millet food products with enhanced nutritional quality.

Influence of milling methods on the flow properties of ivory teff flour.

Increasing teff (Eragrostis tef) consumption has been recorded in recent years due to its gluten-free nature and exceptional nutritional composition. Studies on the particle level that relates to processing and handling of teff flour are limited. The effect of different milling methods (roller mill, pin mill, and hammer mill) on size distribution, shape characteristics, and flowability of teff flour was evaluated. Physical properties (angle of repose, tapped and bulk densities, size distribution, and shape characteristics) and proximate composition were investigated and correlated with flow properties. Flowability was measured in terms of bulk, shear, and dynamic flow properties using the FT4 powder rheometer. Particle size distribution significantly (p < .05) influenced the angle of repose, aeration energy, and wall friction angle while shape characteristics (circularity and aspect ratio) significantly (p < .05) affected the aerated and tapped bulk densities and basic flow energy. Hammer-milled flour had the highest aerated (548.00 kg/m3 ) and tapped bulk densities (804.33 kg/m3 ). Pin-milled flour had the highest compressibility index (38.46%), Hausner ratio (1.62), angle of repose (71.57°), and wall friction angle (25.92° at 3 kPa) indicating poorer flowability. Stability index and specific energy did not vary significantly (p > .05) among the milled flours. Highest basic flow (1,191.03 mJ) and aerated energies (272.32 mJ) were required to induce flow in hammer-milled flour due to greater proportion of large particles. Based on the flow function, all flours fall under the "easy flowing" category, but the pin-milled flour exhibited the poorest flowability.

Significance of milling methods on brown teff flour, dough, and bread properties.

Teff (Eragrostis tef) has gained wide popularity mainly attributed to its gluten-free nature catering the needs of gluten-sensitive population. The higher water absorption capacity and gelling properties of teff flour promote its food applications, especially in the baking sector. The nutritional and sensorial properties of teff flour have been studied by incorporating with wheat flour at different proportions, but no study has reported the impact of various milling methods on the rheological and bread-making properties of teff flour. In this regard, the present study is envisaged to assess the physical, rheological, and bread-making properties of teff flour acquired over roller, hammer, and pin milling. Among the milling methods, the distribution of particles was more uniform in case of roller mill, while finer particles were obtained for the pin milled flour fractions with 60% of the sample falling below 90 µm. It was observed that the protein, crude fiber, and crude fat contents for all the flours were on par with each other irrespective of the milling method. Whereas, the pasting properties varied significantly between the flours obtained from different milling methods. It was observed that the pin milled flour bread was superior in quality owing to its higher loaf volume (331.67 cm3 ) with lower hardness value (5.99 N). The present study indicates the fact that pin mill could be more suitable for milling brown teff grains owing to the better pasting and bread-making properties.

Modern Processing of Indian Millets: A Perspective on Changes in Nutritional Properties.

Globally, billions of people are experiencing food insecurity and malnutrition. The United Nations has set a global target to end hunger by 2030, but we are far from reaching it. Over the decade, climate change, population growth and economic slowdown have impacted food security. Many countries are facing the challenge of both undernutrition and over nutrition. Thus, there is a need to transform the food system to achieve food and nutrition security. One of the ways to reach closer to our goal is to provide an affordable healthy and nutritious diet to all. Millets, the nutri-cereals, have the potential to play a crucial role in the fight against food insecurity and malnutrition. Nutri-cereals are an abundant source of essential macro- and micronutrients, carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber, lipids, and phytochemicals. The nutrient content and digestibility of millets are significantly influenced by the processing techniques. This review article highlights the nutritional characteristics and processing of Indian millets, viz. foxtail, kodo, proso, little, and pearl millets. It also envisages the effect of traditional and modern processing techniques on millet's nutritional properties. An extensive literature review was conducted using the research and review articles related to processing techniques of millets such as fermentation, germination, dehulling, extrusion, cooking, puffing, popping, malting, milling, etc. Germination and fermentation showed a positive improvement in the overall nutritional characteristics of millets, whereas excessive dehulling, polishing, and milling resulted in reduction of the dietary fiber and micronutrients. Understanding the changes happening in the nutrient value of millets due to processing can help the food industry, researchers, and consumers select a suitable processing technique to optimize the nutrient value, increase the bioavailability of nutrients, and help combat food and nutrition security.

Significance of Sodium Bisulfate (SBS) Tempering in Reducing the Escherichia coli O121 and O26 Load of Wheat and Its Effects on Wheat Flour Quality.

The occurrence of recalls involving pathogenic Escherichia coli-contaminated wheat flours show the need for incorporating antimicrobial interventions in wheat milling. The objectives of this study were to assess the efficacy of sodium bisulfate (SBS) tempering in reducing E. coli O121 (ATCC 2219) and O26 (ATCC 2196) wheat load and to evaluate the impact of effective (≥3.0 log reductions) SBS treatments on wheat flour quality. Wheat grains were inoculated with E. coli (~6 log CFU/g) and tempered (17% moisture, 24 h) using the following SBS concentrations (%wheat basis): 0, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, and 1.5% SBS. Reductions in E. coli O121 and O26 wheat load at different time intervals (0.5, 2, 6, 12, 18, and 24 h) during tempering were evaluated. The addition of SBS during tempering resulted in E. coli (O121 and O26) log reductions of 2.0 (0.5% SBS) to >4.0 logs (1.5% SBS) (p ≤ 0.05). SBS tempering (1.25 and 1.5% SBS) produced acidic wheat flours (pH = 4.51-4.60) but had comparable wheat flour properties in terms of composition, dough, and bread-making properties relative to the control (0% SBS). SBS tempering reduced the E. coli O121 and O26 load of wheat after tempering with minimal effects on wheat flour quality.

Effect of Tempering Conditions on White Sorghum Milling, Flour, and Bread Properties.

The effects of room temperature water, hot water, and steam tempering methods were investigated on sorghum kernel physical properties, milling, flour, and bread-making properties. Overall tempering condition and tempering moisture content were found to have a significant effect on the physical properties. Milling properties were evaluated using a laboratory-scale roller milling flowsheet consisting of four break rolls and eight reduction rolls. Room temperature tempering (18% moisture for 24 h) led to better separation of bran and endosperm without negatively impacting flour quality characteristics i.e., particle size distribution, flour yield, protein, ash, damaged starch, and moisture content. Bread produced from the flour obtained from milling sorghum kernels tempered with room temperature water (18% m.c for 24 h) and hot water (16% m.c at 60 °C for 18 h) displayed better bread-making properties i.e., high firmness, resilience, volume index, higher number of cells, and thinner cell walls when compared to other tempering conditions. Room temperature water tempering treatment (18% m.c for 24 h) could be a better pretreatment process for milling white sorghum kernels without negatively impacting the flour and bread-making quality characteristics.

Modeling and Optimization of Process Parameters for Nutritional Enhancement in Enzymatic Milled Rice by Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN).

This study involves information about the concentrations of nutrients (proteins, phenolic compounds, free amino acids, minerals (Ca, P, and Iron), hardness) in milled rice processed with enzymes; xylanase and cellulase produced by Aspergillus awamori, MTCC 9166 and Trichoderma reese, MTCC164. Brown rice was processed with 60-100% enzyme (40 mL buffer -undiluted) for 30 to 150 min at 30 °C to 50 °C followed by polishing for 20-100 s at a safe moisture level. Multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN) models were used for process optimization of enzymes. The MLR correlation coefficient (R2) varied between 0.87-0.90, and the sum of square (SSE) was placed within 0.008-8.25. While the ANN R2 (correlation coefficient) varied between 0.97 and 0.9999(1), MSE changed from 0.005 to 6.13 representing that the ANN method has better execution across MLR. The optimized cellulase process parameters (87.2% concentration, 80.1 min process time, 33.95 °C temperature and 21.8 s milling time) and xylanase process parameters (85.7% enzyme crude, 77.1 min process time, 35 °C temperature and 20 s) facilitated the increase of Ca (70%), P (64%), Iron (17%), free amino acids (34%), phenolic compounds (78%) and protein (84%) and decreased hardness (20%) in milled rice. Scanning electron micrographs showed an increased rupture attributing to enzymes action on milled rice.