Proximate composition, starch, phytate and mineral contents of 10 pearl millet genotypes

Ten pearl millet genotypes: IS 91777, IS 91666, IS 91333, IS 89111, IS 880004, IS 843, IS 833, Kabti, YD-X3 and Tihama, were used in this study. Investigations showed that pearl millet contained 88-91% dry matter, 1.6-2.4% ash, 2.6-4.0% crude fibre, 2.7-7.1% oil, 8.5-15.1% crude protein, 58-70% starch and 354-796 mg g(-1) phytic acid. Mineral contents were 10-80, 180-270 and 450-990 mg g(-1) Ca, Mg and P, respectively, and 70-110, 4-13, 53-70, 18-23, 10-18 and 70-180 mu g g(-1) K, Na, Zn, Mn, Cu and Fe, respectively. The percentage of phytate to total phosphorus was found to range from 70-89% with an average of 77%. A linear relationship between phytate and total P existed with a correlation coefficient of 0.9805. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.