RA 00110.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT

ed and white sorghums without pigmented testas.
The polyphenol content of the blue-grey millets was
similar to that of the yellow millets. Thus, the pericarp
color cannot be used as a clear indication of
polyphenol content in the slate and yellow millets. It
could, however, be used when comparing bronze
millets to the other colored millets. McDonough and
Rooney (1985), analyzed millets using HPLC, and
found that pearl millet contained high levels of
ferulic, coumaric, cinnamic, and gentisic acids, and
that the kernel color affected phenolic acid levels.
Total phenolic acid content was highest in the yellow
millets.
Industrial Utilization of Pearl Millet
Mechanical milling of pearl millet is most efficient
when an abrasive process is used for decortication,
followed by grinding on attrition mills or with a
hammer mill (Perten 1983, Reichert 1982). Wheat
flour mills produce pearl millet flour with high ash
and oil content. Perten (1983) concluded that in
Senegal and Sudan, the new milling processes produced
flours with better storage quality than was
possible with traditional sorghum and millet flours.
The refined flours, mixed with wheat flour, have
been used to produce breads with acceptable organoleptic
properties. A wide variety of foods can be
prepared from pearl millet, but frequently, they have
been unable to compete with imported wheat and
maize flours. When pearl millets are processed into
commercial food products, there will be a need for
larger supplies of more uniform grain with desirable
milling properties and acceptable flavor, color, and
keeping properties. Thus, new varieties should have
large, spherical, uniform kernels with light color and
acceptable taste. The development of pearl millet
cultivars with improved dehulling properties is of
critical importance if millet is going to be used on a
wider scale in urban areas.
Kernel Characteristics
The kernel characteristics of pearl millet vary considerably
(Appa Rao et al. 1985, Brunken et al. 1977,
Rachie and Majmudar 1980). The IBPGR (1981)
has described pearl millet kernel shape as obovate,
lanceolate, elliptical, hexagonal, and globular. Kernel
colors are ivory, cream, yellow, grey, deep grey,
grey-brown, brown, purple, and purplish-black. The
endosperm texture was mostly corneous, partly corneous,
and mostly starchy. The endosperm type was
yellow or non-yellow. The descriptors for kernel
characteristics should be defined more precisely with
pictures and other simple standard measurements.
This would facilitate documentation of pearl millet
characteristics in relation to processing properties
and food quality. The inheritance of pericarp thickness,
color, texture, and other characters should be
determined.
Future Research Needs
Continuing research into the food quality of pearl
millet in Africa and India is highly desirable. Research
concentrated in the following areas should
provide information and techniques to improve
pearl millet quality.
• Breed pearl millet cultivars with improved dehulling
properties.
• Identify a set of standard pearl millet varieties
with good and poor quality for important classes
of traditional foods.
• Define and illustrate the kernel characteristics of
pearl millet in precise terms.
• Define laboratory methods to evaluate and improve
food quality.
• Relate kernel characteristics to food quality.
• Determine the effect of traditional and mechanical
processing methods on nutritional value and
food quality.
• Develop practical village-scale processing
equipment.
References
Abdelrghman, A., Hoseney, R.C., and Varriano-Marston,
E. 1984. The proportions and chemical compositions of
hand-dissected anatomical parts of pearl millet. Journal of
Cereal Science 2(2): 127-133.
Appa Rao, S., Mengesha, M . H . , and Sharma, D. 1985.
Collection and evaluation of pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum)
germplasm from Ghana. Economic Botany 39:
25-38.
Badi, S.M., Hoseney, R.C., and Casady, A.J. 1976. Pearl
millet. I. Characterization by SEM, amino acid analysis,
lipid composition, and prolamine solubility. Cereal Chemistry
53:478- 487.
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