Millet Grains: Nutritional Quality, Processing, and Potential Health Benefits
01 May 2013-Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd)-Vol. 12, Iss: 3, pp 281-295
TL;DR: In this article, a review of the recent advances in research carried out to date for purposes of evaluation of nutritional quality and potential health benefits of millet grains is presented, as well as challenges, limitations and future perspectives to promote millet utilization as food for a large and growing population are also discussed.
Abstract: In the 21st century, climate changes, water scarcity, increasing world population, rising food prices, and other socioeconomic impacts are expected to generate a great threat to agriculture and food security worldwide, especially for the poorest people who live in arid and subarid regions. These impacts present a challenge to scientists and nutritionists to investigate the possibilities of producing, processing, and utilizing other potential food sources to end hunger and poverty. Cereal grains are the most important source of the world's food and have a significant role in the human diet throughout the world. As one of the most important drought-resistant crops, millet is widely grown in the semiarid tropics of Africa and Asia and constitutes a major source of carbohydrates and proteins for people living in these areas. In addition, because of their important contribution to national food security and potential health benefits, millet grain is now receiving increasing interest from food scientists, technologists, and nutritionists. The aim of this work was to review the recent advances in research carried out to date for purposes of evaluation of nutritional quality and potential health benefits of millet grains. Processing technologies used for improving the edible and nutritional characteristics of millet as well as challenges, limitations, and future perspectives to promote millet utilization as food for a large and growing population are also discussed.
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TL;DR: Detailed research on interfacing food science, nutrition, and health is needed so that a GFB with both good technological and nutritional properties can be prepared and made more available to those with celiac disease.
Abstract: The evidence that celiac disease is one of the commonest food intolerances in the world is driving an increasing demand for gluten-free foods. However, gluten is a structure-building protein essential for formulating leavened baked goods. Therefore, obtaining high-quality gluten-free bread (GFB) is a technological challenge. This review focuses on contemporary approaches in gluten-free baking that allow improvements at the structure, texture, acceptability, nutritive value, and shelf life of GFB. Gluten-free breadmaking is a relatively new, emerging research topic that is attracting worldwide attention in order to develop different kinds of GFB, including regional varieties. Several approaches have been used to understand and improve GFB systems by evaluating different flours and starch sources, ingredients added for nutritional purposes, additives, and technologies or a combination of these elements. Some studies aimed to assess or improve GFB's technological or nutritional properties, while others had multiple objectives. Several studies used food science tools in order to improve technological and sensory quality of GFB, together with nutritional value. Some GFBs are vehicles of nutrients and bioactive compounds. Furthermore, extensive research on interfacing food science, nutrition, and health is needed so that a GFB with both good technological and nutritional properties can be prepared and made more available to those with celiac disease, which will help them adhere to a strict gluten-free diet, increase social inclusion, and improve their quality of life.
180 citations
TL;DR: This review examines the physiological and biochemical changes during the germination process, and the effects on final sprout composition in terms of macro- and micro-nutrients and bioactive compounds.
Abstract: In the last decade, there has been an increase in the use of sprouted grains in human diet and a parallel increase in the scientific literature dealing with their nutritional traits and phytochemical contents. This review examines the physiological and biochemical changes during the germination process, and the effects on final sprout composition in terms of macro- and micro-nutrients and bioactive compounds. The main factors affecting sprout composition are taken into consideration: genotype, environmental conditions experimented by the mother plant, germination conditions. In particular, the review deepens the recent knowledge on the possible elicitation factors useful for increasing the phytochemical contents. Microbiological risks and post-harvest technologies are also evaluated, and a brief summary is given of some important in vivo studies matching with the use of grain sprouts in the diet. All the species belonging to Poaceae (Gramineae) family as well as pseudocereals species are included.
178 citations
TL;DR: The role that recent biotechnological advancements have to offer for enrichment of finger millet's nutritional value are highlighted and how these developments can commission to the field of nutritional biology by opening new avenues for future research are highlighted.
Abstract: The science of nutritional biology has progressed extensively over the last decade to develop food-based nutraceuticals as a form of highly personalized medicine or therapeutic agent. Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.) is a crop with potentially tremendous but under-explored source of nutraceutical properties as compared to other regularly consumed cereals. In the era of growing divide and drawback of nutritional security, these characteristics must be harnessed to develop finger millet as a novel functional food. In addition, introgression of these traits into other staple crops can improve the well-being of the general population on a global scale. The objective of this review is to emphasize the importance of biofortification of finger millet in context of universal health and nutritional crisis. We have specifically highlighted the role that recent biotechnological advancements have to offer for enrichment of its nutritional value and how these developments can commission to the field of nutritional biology by opening new avenues for future research.
168 citations
TL;DR: One of the best US treatments that can improve the functional properties of MPC was 73.95 W/cm2 for 12.5 min that resulted in reduction of molecular weight and increase nearly 36% in the negative surface charge that was confirmed by SDS-page and Zeta potential results, respectively.
149 citations
TL;DR: The authors propose to increase the diversity of crops by devoting more efforts to studying minor crops that are naturally stress resistant, with the goal of increasing NSRP productivity while retaining NSRP stress resistance and nutritional value.
Abstract: A major problem facing humanity is that our numbers are growing but the availability of land and fresh water for agriculture is not. This problem is being exacerbated by climate change-induced increases in drought, and other abiotic stresses. Stress-resistant crops are needed to ensure yield stability under stress conditions and to minimize the environmental impacts of crop production. Evolution has created thousands of species of naturally stress-resistant plants (NSRPs), some of which have already been subjected to human domestication and are considered minor crops. Broader cultivation of these minor crops will diversify plant agriculture and the human diet, and will therefore help improve global food security and human health. More research should be directed toward understanding and utilizing NSRPs. Technologies are now available that will enable researchers to rapidly improve the genetics of NSRPs, with the goal of increasing NSRP productivity while retaining NSRP stress resistance and nutritional value. There are multiple strategies to fortify crop nutrition and support global food security and sustainable agriculture. Here the authors propose to increase the diversity of crops by devoting more efforts to studying minor crops that are naturally stress resistant.
145 citations
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"Millet Grains: Nutritional Quality,..." refers background in this paper
...Millet grains are rich in antioxidants and phenolics; however, it has been established that phytates, phenols, and tannins can contribute to antioxidant activity important in health, aging, and metabolic syndrome (Bravo 1998)....
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TL;DR: Experimental studies on animals or cultured human cell lines support a role of polyphenols in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, or osteoporosis, but no clear associations have been found between cancer risk and polyphenol consumption.
Abstract: Polyphenols are the most abundant antioxidants in the diet and are widespread constituents of fruits, vegetables, cereals, dry legumes, chocolate, and beverages, such as tea, coffee, or wine. Experimental studies on animals or cultured human cell lines support a role of polyphenols in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, or osteoporosis. However, it is very difficult to predict from these results the effects of polyphenol intake on disease prevention in humans. One of the reasons is that these studies have often been conducted at doses or concentrations far beyond those documented in humans. The few clinical studies on biomarkers of oxidative stress, cardiovascular disease risk factors, and tumor or bone resorption biomarkers have often led to contradictory results. Epidemiological studies have repeatedly shown an inverse association between the risk of myocardial infarction and the consumption of tea and wine or the intake level of some particular flavonoids, but no clear associations have been found between cancer risk and polyphenol consumption. More human studies are needed to provide clear evidence of their health protective effects and to better evaluate the risks possibly resulting from too high a polyphenol consumption.
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TL;DR: The chemistry and biochemistry of polyphenols as related to classification, extraction, separation and analytical methods, their occurrence and biosynthesis in plants, and the biological activities and implications in human health are reviewed.
Abstract: Polyphenols are the biggest group of phytochemicals, and many of them have been found in plant-based foods. Polyphenol-rich diets have been linked to many health benefits. This paper is intended to review the chemistry and biochemistry of polyphenols as related to classification, extraction, separation and analytical methods, their occurrence and biosynthesis in plants, and the biological activities and implications in human health. The discussions are focused on important and most recent advances in the above aspects, and challenges are identified for future research.
1,674 citations
"Millet Grains: Nutritional Quality,..." refers background in this paper
...Therefore, dietary polyphenols have received tremendous attention among nutritionists, food scientists, and consumers due to their roles in human health (Tsao 2010)....
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