Validating the Nutraceutical Significance of Minor Millets by Employing Nutritional–Antinutritional Profiling

Millets are group of underutilized cereal crops with higher nutritional values. The present investigation used different classes of minor millets, including barnyard (sava), little (kutki), finger (ragi), kodo and foxtail millets, for evaluation of their nutritional parameters, i.e., the content of proteins, total amino acids, total sugars, insoluble fibers, soluble fibers, total dietary fibers, iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), along with antinutritional and antioxidant parameters, viz., tannic acid, phytic acid, phenol, flavonoid, proline and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity. Alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase activity were also thought to elevate millets as a viable staple meal. Foxtail millet showed the maximum inhibition, with an IC50 value of 20.46 ± 1.80 µg mL−1 with respect to α-amylase. The coefficient of correlation between nutritional and antinutritional compositions showed that the starch content was significantly and positively correlated with insoluble fiber (r = 0.465) and dietary fiber (r = 0.487). Moreover, sugar was positively correlated with the phytic acid (r = 0.707), Fe and Zn (r = 0.681) contents. To determine the peptides responsible for anticancer activity, the foxtail protein was subjected to ultrafiltration; it was found that the 3 kDa fraction retained the greatest anticancer activity. Selected millet germplasm line(s) that have the best nutraceutical properties could be used in millet improvement programs.