Impacts of Soaking Conditions on Proximate Composition of Finger Millet

Abstract

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana), a nutrient-dense and drought-tolerant cereal widely cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions of Africa and Asia, holds significant potential for promoting food and nutritional security. Despite its rich content of dietary fiber, essential nutrients, and bioactive compounds, the presence of anti-nutritional factors such as tannins and phytates limits its micronutrient bioavailability. Among various traditional processing methods, soaking is a simple and effective technique for improving the nutritional profile of finger millet at household level by reducing anti-nutrients and enhancing digestibility. The present study was undertaken to assess the effect of soaking on the nutritional composition of finger millet grains at two water-to-grain ratios (1:2 and 1:3) over different soaking durations (0, 12, 14, 16, and 18 hours). The results indicated a progressive increase in crude fiber, total ash, and carbohydrate content with prolonged soaking, while moisture, protein and fat contents showed a decreasing trend. These changes are attributed due to the rate of drying that decreased the moisture content and leaching of soluble proteins and fats, enhanced enzymatic activity, and relative concentration effects results in the decrease of protein and fat concentration. The findings highlight the potential of soaking as a household-level intervention to modify and improve the nutritional quality of finger millet, thereby supporting its utilization in functional and health-promoting food products.