Changes in carbohydrates, proteins and lipids of finger millet after hydrothermal processing

Finger millet was soaked, steamed and dried to prepare hydrothermally processed millet, followed by decortication to prepare decorticated millet. The physicochemical properties and carbohydrate, protein and lipid profiles of control and processed millet were determined. The carbohydrates were fractionated to amlypectin and amylose equivalent fractions using gel permeation chromatography. The non-starch polysaccharides were isolated and their alditol acetyl derivatives were characterized by gas chromatography (GC). The proteins were extracted using different solvents and the total proteins were fractionated using SDS-PAGE. The ether extractable lipids were esterified and fractionated through GC. Hydrothermal processing decreased the amylopectin fraction and increased the amylose equivalent portion of the starch. Decortication further lowered the first fraction and increased the second fraction. A decrease in cold, hot water soluble and hemicellulose-B fractions and an increase in pectic polysaccharides, hemicellulose-A and cellulosic fractions were observed as a result of hydrothermal processing. Decortication significantly reduced the total non-starch polysaccharides specifically the cellulose fraction. Hydrothermal processing decreased the overall extractability of proteins by 50% but decortication increased it to 80%. It was observed that hydrothermal treatment did not change the gross nutrients composition of finger millet but for their profile. Decortication of hydrothermally processed millet caused significant changes in the nutrient contents and also in their profiles.