Structural, functional, textural characterization and in vitro starch digestibility of underutilized Kutki millet (Panicum sumatrense) flour

Kutki millet (Panicum sumatrense), the most underutilized millet crop, can provide broad potential benefits to human health. However, the crop has not been investigated fully, except for its physicochemical properties. In the present study, the kutki millet flour (KMF) was investigated for its various properties such as structural, morphological, functional, textural, pasting, and in vitro digestibility, taking corn flour (CF) as a control. The KMF showed higher amylose content and thus possessed better pasting and textural characteristics than CF. The KMF possessed low digestibility which might be due to the presence of a high amount of fiber, proteins, and amylose content. Various digestibility models were fitted to the experimental digestion data to predict the model parameters. All models showed lower values for D-infinity (maximum digestible starch) and D-0 (initial digestible starch) for KMF as compared to CF. Owing to lower digestion of KMF, it resulted in higher resistant starch and lower glycaemic index. Both these properties are considered significant while designing healthy food items. The study concluded that the KMF may be used in a variety of food applications and is a great alternative to conventional cereal grains for industrial use.