Storage effects on nutritional quality of commonly consumed cereals

Storage effects on nutritional quality of commonly consumed cereal grains are studied. Freshly harvested wheat, maize and rice grains were stored at 10, 25 and 45 °C for six months. A significant decrease in pH and an increase in titratable acidity was observed during storage of these three cereal grains at 25 and 45 °C. A gradual decline in moisture, total available lysine and thiamine contents was observed during storage. Total available lysine contents decreased by 6.50% and 18.5% in wheat, 14.3% and 20.7% in maize and 23.7% and 34.2% in rice during six months of storage at 25 and 45 °C, respectively. Six month’s storage of rice, maize and wheat grains at 25 and 45 °C resulted in reduction of thiamine contents by 16.7% and 29.2%, 17.2% and 24.1% and 21.4% and 29.5%, respectively. About 36.4–44.4% decrease in total soluble sugars at 45 °C and 9.30–31.8% increase in total soluble sugars were observed at 10 and 25 °C during six months storage of these cereal grains. Protein and starch digestibilities of cereal grains also deceased during six months of storage at 25 and 45 °C. No significant change in nutritional quality was observed during storage of cereal grains at 10 °C.