Extruded breakfast cereal from finger millet flour blends: Nutritional composition, in-vivo protein quality assessment and biochemical indices of rat fed

The study evaluated macro - micronutrient, amino acids, in-vivo protein quality, growth performance, biochemical indices of rat fed with extruded breakfast cereal from finger millet, soybean cake, and carrot pomace. Raw materials F:100% finger millet; FS: Finger millet:soybean cake (75:25)%; FC: Finger millet:carrot pomace (90:10)%; FSC: Finger millet:soybean cake:carrot pomace (60:25:15)% were blends and extruded in to ready-to-eat breakfast cereal respectively. A significant increase in crude protein was recorded in FSC (19.2 g/100 g) compared to 10.2 g/100 g obtained in F. Potassium was the most predominant mineral (34.7–41.4 mg/100 g). Total and branch chain amino acids (72.8–75.8 and 13.2–14.8) g/100 g of protein was highest in FSC. In-vivo efficiency protein ratio and biological value of rats fed follows the same trend with FSC (2.16 and 93.0%) having the highest value. Biochemical indices show that experimental samples have no negative effect on rats. Extrusion of finger millet, soybean cake, and carrot pomace enhanced nutritional values (macro and micronutrient). However, sample FSC (60% finger millet: 25% soybean cake and 15% carrot pomace) perform better among experimental diets and comparable to casein in terms of high protein, total amino acids, biological value, growth performance, biochemical indices and was ranked highest in overall acceptability.