Comparative analysis of various pretreatments vis-à-vis Infrared heating on some selected quality characteristics of kodo millet
摘要
Kodo millet is recognized for its high nutritional value and health benefits; however, its potential is often limited by antinutritional factors and suboptimal cooking properties. This study evaluated the effects of various pretreatment methods: infrared heating (IR), soaking-steaming, and hot-water soaking on proximate composition, bioactive compounds, antinutritional factors, physical characteristics, and cooking attributes of kodo millet. The IR-treated millet showed the highest nutritional content with 6.75% protein, 0.95% fiber, 1.06% ash, and 90.77% carbohydrates (dry basis), total phenolic content (188.72 mg GAE/100 g), total flavonoid content (1712.21 mg QE/100 g), and DPPH scavenging activity (66.51%) compared to the other treatments and control. Furthermore, IR treatment resulted in the lowest tannin (4.11 mg TAE/100 g) and phytic acid content (59.12 mg/100 g) compared to other treatments and the control sample. IR-treated millet also exhibited best whiteness index (55.90) and hardness (51.45 N) along with a higher water uptake ratio (2.56), higher volume expansion ratio (1.28), shorter cooking time (12.58 min), and lower leaching losses (5.3%). Thus, IR heating emerged as the most effective pretreatment method, significantly enhancing both the nutritional quality and cooking characteristics of kodo millet.