Minor Millets: A Power House of Nutrients

Abstract

Millets have substantial benefits as a drought-resistant crop, yield good productivity in the areas with water scarcity, possesses remarkable edibles and nutritive values. Nutritional quality of food is the most important parameter for maintaining human health and complete physical wellbeing. Since nutritional wellbeing is the driving force for development and maximization of human genetic potential. Therefore the study was undertaken to investigate the nutrient composition of selected minor millet. The mean moisture content of millet ranged from 8.0 to 10.1 percent. Among the minor millet proso (12.3g/100g) and foxtail millet (12.0g/100g) showed the highest protein content than other millets and lowest was in barnyard millet (6.3g/100g). Fat and ash content in millets ranged from 0.9 to 4.4g/100g and 1.3 to 2.0g/100g respectively. The highest crude fiber content was recorded in barnyard millet (9.9g/100g), followed by kodo millet (9.2g/100g) and lowest in proso millet (2.3g/100g). Carbohydrate content in finger millet was significantly higher (76.3g/100g), followed by proso millet (74.0g/100g) and least was recorded in foxtail millet (67.0g/100g). The energy value of selected millets ranged from 330 to 362 Kcal. Results showed that ‘F’ value indicated a significant difference to exist among the selected millets for all the nutrients studied (p≤0.05). Millets have substantial benefits as a drought-resistant crop, yield good productivity in the areas with water scarcity, possesses remarkable edibles and nutritive values. Nutritional quality of food is the most important parameter for maintaining human health and complete physical wellbeing. Since nutritional wellbeing is the driving force for development and maximization of human genetic potential. Therefore the study was undertaken to investigate the nutrient composition of selected minor millet. The mean moisture content of millet ranged from 8.0 to 10.1 percent. Among the minor millet proso (12.3g/100g) and foxtail millet (12.0g/100g) showed the highest protein content than other millets and lowest was in barnyard millet (6.3g/100g). Fat and ash content in millets ranged from 0.9 to 4.4g/100g and 1.3 to 2.0g/100g respectively. The highest crude fiber content was recorded in barnyard millet (9.9g/100g), followed by kodo millet (9.2g/100g) and lowest in proso millet (2.3g/100g). Carbohydrate content in finger millet was significantly higher (76.3g/100g), followed by proso millet (74.0g/100g) and least was recorded in foxtail millet (67.0g/100g). The energy value of selected millets ranged from 330 to 362 Kcal. Results showed that ‘F’ value indicated a significant difference to exist among the selected millets for all the nutrients studied (p≤0.05).