Black (cv. BGR) and white (cv. RD6) glutinous rice sprouts from fertilizer- and pesticide-free farm in Khon Kaen province, Thailand were investigated for antioxidation and antiproliferative activity. Three different ages of rice sprouts were collected and prepared as the extract. BGR exerted higher antioxidant capacity than RD6 based on total phenolic (TPC) and total anthocyanin contents (TAC), DPPH, and FRAP assays. BGR at 10–15 days contained the highest TPC (29.72 ± 1.42 mg gallic acid equivalent/g extract) and reducing power (2.22 ± 0.014 mmole FeSO4/g extract). BGR at 20–25 days contained the highest TAC (0.86 ± 0.096 equivalence of cyanidin-3-glucoside/g extract) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 231.09 ± 12.99 μg/mL). Antiproliferative activity of the extracts was evaluated in the human T-lymphocyte (Jurkat), hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), colorectal carcinoma (HCT116), melanoma (SK-MEL-2) and noncancerous cells (Vero) by neutral red assay. BGR showed the most selective antiproliferation against Jurkat cells, by inducing apoptosis, and caspase 3/7 activity. BGR at 200 μg/mL from all ages significantly decreased ROS using DCFH-DA and increased endogenous glutathione levels in Jurkat cells compared to the control (p < 0.05). The higher antiproliferation of BGR than RD6 was via its antioxidation capacity and attributed to its higher phenolic and anthocyanin contents. BGR sprout is a potential source of biologically active substances good for wellness and health benefits.

The non-nutritional health benefits of sprouts are unconfirmed. Thus, nine sprout methanolic extracts were tested for phytoconstituents and antioxidant activity. The TPC, TCC, TFC, TAC, and TALC were measured. ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assays were used to assess the antioxidant activity. HPLC detected gallic acid, vanillin, syringic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, and rutin in the extracts. The sprout extracts contained six compounds, with caffeic acid being the most abundant. Gallic acid, syringic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, vanillin, and rutin were highest in soybean, mustard, sunflower, radish, and black sesame sprouts, respectively. Sunflower sprouts had the highest level of TCC while soybean sprouts had the highest level of TFC, Taiwanese morning glory had the highest level of TPC, mustard sprouts had the highest level of TALC, and black sesame sprouts had the highest level of TAC. Taiwanese morning glories scavenged the most DPPH and ABTS radicals. Colored and white radish sprouts had similar ferric-reducing antioxidant power. Antioxidation mechanisms varied by compound. Our findings demonstrated that sprouts have biological effects, and their short time for mass production offers an alternative food source for health benefits, and that they are useful for future research development of natural products and dietary supplements.