Parboiling Effect on Phytate Contains of Two Senegalese Pearl Millet Varieties (pennisetum glaucum [L.] R.Br.) GB 87-35 and ICRITABI

Millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a rich source of nutrients compared to other cereal crops. However, its use is limited by the presence of antinutritional factors including phytates that reduce the availability of minerals. Thus, several treatment methods have been used to reduce these antinutritional factors. However, our study investigated the effect of parboiling on the phytate concentrations of two varieties of millet GB 87-35 and ICRI-TABI in Senegal. Theses two varieties of pearl millet contain 981.82 and 928.71 mg / 100g of phytates, respectively and were comparable to other cereals. The results revealed that for the GB 87-35 millet variety, phytate content varied from 795.88 mg / 100g for unparboiled and decorticated millet to 531.28; 511,614 and 483.60 mg / 100 g, respectively for parboiled and decorticated millets at 60 and 70 and 80 °C. As for the ICRITABI variety, the phytate concentrations are 791.40 mg / 100g for unparboiled and decorticated millet, 656.58 mg / 100g for parboiled and decorticated millet at 60 °C; 567.08 mg / 100g for parboiled and decorticated millet at 70 °C and 526.48 mg / 100 g for parboiled and decorticated millet at 80 °C. Thus, parboiling including hot soaking, steaming and drying before milling resulted in a decrease in the phytate content of two varieties of millet and 80 °C would be the best soaking temperature for a significant (p < 0.05) reduction phytate concentrations. Parboiling can become one of the efficace methods of technological treatment used to reduce phytates in millet grains.