Impact of germination on nutritional and antioxidant profile of little millet (Panicum sumatrense L.)

The current study was designed to examine the impact of germination on nutritional and antioxidant profile of little millet (Panicum sumatrense L.). The total moisture, total ash, carbohydrates, crude protein, crude fat and crude fiber content (Nutritional profile) and antioxidant profile including total phenols, total flavonoid content and DPPH radical scavenging activity of ungerminated and germinated little millet (Panicum sumatrense L.) were analyzed.It has been found that the germinated little millet (Panicum sumatrense L.) contained significant increased content of crude protein (45.9%), crude fiber (27.8%), while it had significant decreased amount of ash (44.6%), crude fat (45.5%) and carbohydrates (8.39%) at p≤0.05 level. The antioxidant profile of germinated little millet revealed that there was significant high content of total phenols (5.4%), flavonoids content (5.8%) as compared to ungerminated millets extract at p≤0.05 level. Likewise germinated little millet extract exhibits highest antioxidant activity with IC50 value (57.8μg/ml) as compared to ungerminated millet extract (63.1 μg/ml). So the germination when it is used as processing method it enhances the nutritional and antioxidant potential of little millet.