Nutritional exploration of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) in addressing food security and its utilization trends in food system

Abstract

Millets are recognized as nutritional grains that have been important for preventing the malnutrition and significantly enhancing the human health. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is a C4, self pollinating millet species belonging to family Poaceae; acknowledged as Italian millet, Chinese millet or German millet. Being the oldest crops to be cultivated and produced, it is also utilized as a bird feed in African regions of the world. As far as the nutritional content is concerned, it has substantial amounts of carbohydrates (60–65 g), protein (12.3 g), fiber (6 g), minerals (Phosphorous, calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium, sodium), and phytochemicals (Phenols, Ferulic, chlorogenic acids, and p-coumaric, flavonoids, carotenoids, tocopherol, and tocotrienol). Additionally foxtail millet is reported to have anti inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancerous, antihypolipidemic antihyperglycemic properties that may serve well with respect to pharmacological relevance. Apart from the medicinal prospect, its food utilization for making bakery, weaning, fermented as well as extruded goods are studied in the literature. Thus it can be mentioned that foxtail millet has a promising position in strengthening dietary quality and food security of world, thereby functioning as an emissary crop to replenish other economically valuable crops against environmental constraints even while supplying food for people and livestock via biotechnological techniques.