Millet: Complete Sugars and Carbohydrate Profile
Millet: Considered a good source of carbohydrates?
Millet is not a good source of lipids. Lipids, also known as fats and oils, are important sources of energy for the body and play essential roles in cell structure and metabolism. Because millet is a carbohydrate grain, it does not contain significant amounts of lipids. The only type of lipid found in millet is linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid which makes up about 0.5% of the total composition of millet. Therefore, while millet can provide some beneficial dietary fat from linoleic acid, it should not be relied upon as a major source of dietary lipids.
Millet ‐ Types of Sugars
Introduction
Fats and lipids are an essential component of our diets as they play a vital role in supplying energy, aiding absorption of fat-soluble minerals and vitamins, providing insulation to the body, forming membranes, and regulating hormone production (1). Plants like millet contain several varieties of fats, making them a rich source of nutrition.
Millet is part of Poaceae family, which is one of the oldest cereal grain species of domestication by humans dating back 4000 years ago in Africa (2). India produces and consumes 20% of all world’s millet output, with some traditional cultures relying heavily on it for food security purposes (3). Millet is gaining popularity among health conscious people as it contains high levels of various macro-nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, dietary fibers etc. (4) This study aims to evaluate different types of fats and lipids present inside millet and their physiological importance towards human health.
Types of Fats and Lipids Found In Millet
There are 2 main classes of fats: Saturated Fatty Acids (SFA) and Unsaturated Fatty Acids (UFA) (5). SFAs are generally solid at room temperature, while UFAs are often liquid or oils at room temperature. SFAs are usually derived from animals; however, plant sources do exist and can be found in certain foods like coconut oil and palm kernel oil. UFAs are usually produced through plants and vegetable oils, thus being predominantly vegan. Both types have health benefits but need to be consumed judiciously, depending upon individual needs.
The SFAs most commonly found in millet are lauric acid (C12:0), myristic acid (C14:0), palmitic acid (C16:0) and stearic acid (C18:0). The percentage composition of these saturated fatty acids typically range from 37.7 - 56.9% of total lipids within the grain (6). Lauric and myristic acids are volatile compounds that are readily oxidized when exposed to oxygen. Palmitic and stearic acids, which provide stability against oxidation, form 35.8 - 48.9% of total composition (7).
The principal monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) in millet is oleic acid (C18:1), having percentages ranging from 12.7 - 22.3 % in various cultivars (8). Oleic acid serves as an intermediate product between saturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids in biosynthesis pathways during photosynthetic processes (9). However, because of its low thermal stability make it susceptible to oxidative rancidity (10).
Alongside MUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acids also contribute significantly to overall profile of millet lipids (11 ). These include linoleic acid (C18: 2n6) and alphalinolenic acid (C18: 3n3) with concentration ranges of 38.8 – 72.1% and 6.6–25.6%, respectively (12 ). Linoleic acid is the most abundant PUFA present in millet and plays crucial roles in plant etiology due to their cis-conformation components acting as flexible buildings blocks in cell wall structure of the grain (13). Alpha-linolenic acid, another essential PUFA acid, acts a precursor molecules in the formation of bioactive metabolites such omega-3 and alpha-linolenoic ethyl esters (14).
Phospholipids coupled with free sterols constitute fraction of lipid content in grains (15). Around 0.05% phospholipid concentration has been reported to exist in millet grain matrix (16). Phosphatidylethanolamine comprises major class of phospholipids and functions mainly as building blocks for membranes, improving fluidity and maintaining homogeneity (17).
Research suggests that glycolipids are involved in protective functions of endosperm tissue in response to abiotic stress tolerance (18). Furthermore, evidence indicates presence of significant Quantity of complex lipids, such as acyl lipids, galactolipids, plastidlipids, betaineglucosintatesinosides, ceramides and sphingolipids in millet (19). They act as physical barriers blocking hostile environment against external infections while providing active sites for enzymatic activity in yielding nutrients to the cells(20).
Conclusion
In conclusion, this paper discussed the major types of fats and lipids found in millet grain matrix. Each type of lipid was evaluated based on its role and contribution towards grain biochemical properties. It was highlighted how both cholesterol and non-cholesterol containing lipids worked synergistically to provide efficient means of defense and metabolic signals. We hope further studies will shed light regarding exact composition, quantification and functional characteristics of other minor informative fractions present in the whole grain.
