The aleurone layer, grain coat and embryo which constitute rice bran are rich in vitamins, lipids, protein and lysine compared with the endosperm (milled rice). A method was developed to measure the in vitro protein digestibility of raw and cooked brown rice and their histological components. The protein digestibility of cooked endosperm by the in vitro method agreed with that of other workers using in vivo techniques. The protein digestibility of the aleurone layer and grain coat from raw rice was only 25% but increased to 65% from cooked rice, due to disruption of the cellulosic cell walls at 100 degrees, which was shown by electron microscopy. The decreased protein digestibility due to cooking was not the result of formation of epsilon-lysyl-gamma-glutamyl isopeptide cross-links, but may be due to formation of a cystine-rich core that is resistant to proteases. The protein digestibility of cooked brown rice was approximately the same as that of cooked milled rice, hence it is advantageous for those for whom rice is a staple food to consume brown rather than milled rice.