A Review of the Nutraceutical Composition of Millets and their Health Benefits

Abstract

Millets have an incredible ability to withstand harsh environmental conditions, from drought to waterlogging, and can flourish in arid and semi-arid regions. Their nutritional composition varies among different varieties of millets and accounts for 60 to 70% carbohydrates, 6 to 9% proteins, 10 to 12% fibers, 1 to 5% fats, and about 2 to 4% minerals. The protein composition of millets consists mainly of albumin, prolamin, and globulin. Along with high nutritional value, the nutraceutical composition of millets has the potential to provide several additional health benefits depending on millet variety. Oxidative stress and inflammation are common pathologies of several diseases and increase the adversity of the disease. The nutraceutical composition of millet has antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties, which provide benefits in different diseased conditions, including cardiovascular disorders, neurological disorders, cancers, diabetes, and several other conditions. Flavonoids, phenolic acid, catechins, tannins, arabinoxylans, alkaloids, phytosterols, tocopherols, phytic acid, and carotenoids present in millets act as lead bioactive agents and contribute to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The present review illustrates the nutritional and nutraceutical composition of different millet varieties, with a leading focus on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of different nutraceuticals. A wide range of procedures used to evaluate these effects in different studies has been elaborated, and diverse investigations have been conducted to analyze the effectiveness of millet nutraceuticals in diverse varieties of dreaded diseases.