Abstract:
The present study examined the influence of malting on the phenolic composition of
two cultivars of finger millet using an ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometer.
Total polyphenols and antioxidant activities of the grains were also evaluated using sorghum as
an external reference. Catechin, epicatechin, quercetin, taxifolin, and hesperitin were isolated
flavonoids, whereas protocatechuic acid was the phenolic acid detected in finger millet malt.
Increases in the content of catechin, epicatechin, and protocatechuic acid were observed for 72 h
and 96 h for brown finger millet and sorghum malt. Complete loss of taxifolin and hesperitin
were observed with the malting period for finger millet cultivars. A similar loss was noted in
the proanthocyanidin A1/A2 and catechin content of sorghum with malting time. The grain malt
exhibited 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl,2,20-azinobis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS)
radical scavenging and iron reducing activities. Increased ABTS and iron reducing activity with
malting time were observed for the finger millet cultivars. The study demonstrates the presence
of hesperitin in finger millet, and also shows that 72 h and 96 h of malting enhanced the catechin,
epicatechin, and protocatechuic acid content, in addition to the antioxidant activity of the grain.
