RA 00110.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT

Figure 10. Autoflourescence microscopy of pearl millet sections embedded in glycol methacrylate. A - D .
Autoflourescence. A. 4 0 X , bronze millet. B. 100X, bronze millet. C. 4 0 X , blue-grey millet. D. 100X, blue-grey
millet. E. Congo Red, 100X, bronze millet. F. Autoflourescence with Acid Fuschin dye, 100X, tan millet.
(p = peripheral endosperm; a = aleurone; s - seed coat; t - tube cells; c = cross cells; e - epicarp cells; pb =
protein bodies; sg = starch granules).
endosperm and partial chunks of endosperm cells
from the corneous and peripheral endosperm.
There may also be pieces of bran left in the fraction
as well as chunks of germ tissue.
The germ of pearl millet is about 17% of the total
kernel mass (Table 3) (Abdelrahman et al. 1984),
and contains about 25% lipid, 20% protein, and
most of the phytin, vitamins, and enzymes. The protein
content of the germ is of high quality with high
levels of lysine, tryptophan, and theonine. The germ
is firmly embedded inside the pericarp and endosperm
so it is difficult to remove completely by milling
processes. Many cereals contain phytin and
nicotinic acid in the aleurone and germ, but pearl
millet appears to contain these materials mainly in
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