Effect of high-pressure soaking on the physicochemical, nutritional, and techno-functional properties of pearl millets

Pearl millets are important crops that have a significant nutritional value. Using processed pearl millets can add value to various food products and contribute to food and nutritional security. In this study, high pressure processing was applied in soaking the pearl millets to increase iron bioavailability by degrading the anti-nutrient phytate. Millet samples were soaked at three pressure levels of 300, 350, and 400 MPa for three different treatment times of 30-, 60-, and 90 min. Treatments resulted in up to an 80.61% reduction in the phytate content. The free iron content of the pearl millet increased to 579.24 mg kg⁻¹ from 127.73 mg kg⁻¹ with a pressure of 350 MPa for 90 min soaking. There were no significant changes in the nutritional profile of the treated samples, except that longer treatment times reduced the carbohydrate content. High-pressure treatments resulted in up to 12.1% and 5.9% increase in water and oil absorption capacities of millets, respectively. Significant differences in thermal and pasting properties of treated samples of millets showed that high-pressure processing altered the techno-functional properties of millets. Results illustrate that the high-pressure treatment, as a novel approach, can reduce phytate and improve free iron content in millets.