Composition and Biological Activity of Colored Rice—A Comprehensive Review

Colored rice (black, purple, red and brown) has been consumed in China for nearly 4000 years. Recent research has focused on exploring its nutritional and metabolomic profiles and associated health benefits. Due to the improvement in detection and quantification techniques for health-promoting compounds and their activities, the number of studies has increased significantly. In this regard, a timely and updated review of research on nutritional composition, phytochemistry, and metabolite content and composition can significantly enhance consumer awareness. Here, we present a detailed and up-to-date understanding and comparison of the nutritional and phytochemical (metabolite) composition of colored rice. While earlier literature reviews focus on either single type of colored rice or briefly present nutritional comparison or bioactivities, here we present more detailed nutrient profile comparison (carbohydrates, fats, proteins, amino acids, minerals, and vitamins), together with the most recent comparative data on phytochemicals/metabolites (flavonoids, anthocyanins, fatty acids, amino acids and derivatives, phenolic acids, organic acids, alkaloids, and others). We discuss how metabolomics has broadened the scope of research by providing an increasing number of detected compounds. Moreover, directions on the improvement in colored rice nutritional quality through breeding are also presented. Finally, we present the health-beneficial activities (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, hypoglycemic, neuroprotective, anti-aging, and antitumor activities) of different colored rice varieties, together with examples of the clinical trials, and discuss which bioactive substances are correlated with such activities.