Purpose - This paper aims to investigate the physical, chemical and physicochemical characteristics of rice husk on alkaline treatment. Design/methodology/approach - Rice husk (RM) was alkaline treated to produce soluble (SR) and insoluble residues (IR). Each fraction was characterized and soluble fraction was used to produce nanofibres using electrospinning method. Findings - Alkaline treatment was effective in isolating insoluble dietary fibre rich IR from the other interfering substances such as soluble dietary fibre, protein and lipids that originally present in RM and leached into SR. The problem of silica induced toxicity and indigestibility of rice husk was overcome by alkaline treatment. Alkaline treatment altered the inherent mineral content (calcium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, phosphorus, zinc) of rice husk, and increased physicochemical properties such as emulsification ability and stability, water holding ability, mineral binding capacity (calcium, copper, iron, zinc), and antioxidant activity. SR had been successfully electrospun into nanofibres with the addition of polyvinyl alcohol. Originality/value - The paper investigated the characteristic of rice husk (RM and IR) for the development of functional foods, pharmaceutical products and new bioactives delivery system at the expense of reducing environmental liability.