Effect of Heat Treatment and Gamma Irradiation on In Vitro Protein Digestibility of Selected Millet Grains

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted to find out the effects of heat or irradiation combined with heat on in vitro starch digestibility (IVSD). Sorghum, pearl millet, foxtail millet were used in the study. Whole (WC) and dehulled (DC) grains were treated either with heat (170°C) or irradiation at 1.0kGy / 2.5kGy and stored for 90 days. There was a significant (p<0.05) effect of treatments, storage and grain and their interactions on all the nutritional quality parameters with a result in increase in IVSD. The mean IVSD was 70.83 percent. The mean IVSD in untreated grains was 66.99 and 70.6 percent in WC and DC, which were improved by 6 and 4 percent due to irradiation combination treatment. The percent increase from 1.0 kGy to 2.5kGy was 5.27 in DC and 3.23 percent in WC grains. Among the three grains, sorghum had maximum IVSD followed by pearl millet and foxtail millet. Storage of both untreated and treated grains affected the IVSD (p<0.05) with a significant reduction (1.54%). Sorghum had slightly higher reduction during storage.