Comparative nutritional analysis of foxtail millet and rice: a case for millet as a superior alternative

Millets have emerged as a viable crop option in this evolving environmental context. However, replacing commonly grown cereals with millets requires a comparative understanding of their nutritional quality. This study aims to compare the nutritional quality of the commonly grown rice (Oryza sativa L.) variety Ranjit (RR) with a foxtail millet variety (Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauvais), Gossaigaon local (GL). Proximate analysis revealed lower moisture and carbohydrate content (12.17% and 59.98%) in GL grains compared to RR (15.20% and 73.43%). However, GL had significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) ash, protein, crude fiber, and crude fat content (1.59%, 3.13%, 8.68%, and 3.08%, respectively) than in RR. Additionally, significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) amylose content (5.83%) was observed in GL than in RR. The mineral content analysis revealed significantly higher levels (p ≤ 0.05) of Na (78.6%), Zn (56.6%), Mg (14.13%), Mn (146.72%), Ca (21.03%), K (42.98%), and Fe (141.48%) compared to Ranjit rice. Whereas Cu (46.35%) and Ni (110.22%) levels were higher in Ranjit. Gossaigaon local documented a significantly higher total phenolic content (1.5 times) than Ranjit. Similarly, the total flavonoid content of GL exceeded RR by 40 mg QE/100 g. However, the DPPH radical scavenging activity in both of the cereal grain samples exhibited no significant difference. In conclusion, this study suggests that GL can be a nutritionally superior substitute for RR, commonly grown in the Northeastern part of India.