Metabolic profiling of millet (Panicum miliaceum) using gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS) for quality assessment

Gas-chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOFMS) was used to determine the diversity among primary metabolites and phenolic acids in three varieties of millet (Panicum miliaceum L.). Three cultivars of millet seeds were germinated in a greenhouse, and the seedlings were transferred to the field and allowed them to grow for a period of 4 months. A total of 48 metabolites were identified from millet, including 43 primary metabolites and five phenolic acids. The metabolite profiles were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares discriminate analysis (PLS-DA) to evaluate the differences among varieties. PCA and PLS-DA fully distinguished the three varieties tested. Joongjuk millet was separated from the other varieties based on the high levels of metabolites, and appears to be a good candidate for future breeding programs because of its high phenolic acids levels. This GC-TOFMS-based metabolic profiling approach is a viable alternative method for evaluating food quality.