Abstract
Pearl millet ranks sixth in annual world cereal production. Vitamin A deficiency is a global health problem affecting 140-250 million children and accounts for increased childhood mortality and diseases. Humans and animals are unable to synthesize Vitamin ‘A’ requirement as plant-derived-carotene are metabolized to produce Vitamin ‘A’. Pearl millet grains are rich nutritionally and contain sufficient amount of β carotene which is the precursor of Vitamin A. In order to satisfy the recommended dietary allowance, the targeted level of beta carotene in pearl millet (20 µg/ g of grain), screening of large number of pearl millet genotypes is a prerequisite. Among the various available techniques, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) can be accurate for β carotene estimation; however it is laborious, time consuming and requires skilled labour and use of highly toxic solvents. The aim of this work is to develop a simple and rapid screening method for determination of β-carotene in pearl millet by spectrophotometry. Two hundred recombinant inbred lines developed from the cross between agronomically superior inbred line (PT 6029) and high beta carotene golden millet line (PT 6129) were evaluated at Department Vitamin A of Millets, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore. The range of β carotene varied between 0.46 and 2.83 μg/g of grain. Eighty recominant inbred lines (RILs) exceeded the general mean of 1.7 μg/g of grain and 17 transgressive recombinants were obtained. These transgressive recombinants could be used in conventional plant breeding programme for development of inbred lines with high beta carotene and yield in order to meet requirement in the diet. Key words: Pearl millet, β carotene, Vitamin A, recominant inbred lines (RILs), spectrophotometer, transgressive segregates. 
Highlights
Two hundred recombinant inbred lines developed from the cross between agronomically superior inbred line (PT 6029) and high beta carotene golden millet line (PT 6129) were evaluated at Department Vitamin A of Millets, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore
Eighty recominant inbred lines (RILs) exceeded the general mean of 1.7 μg/g of grain and 17 transgressive recombinants were obtained. These transgressive recombinants could be used in conventional plant breeding programme for development of inbred lines with high beta carotene and yield in order to meet requirement in the diet
Plant carotenoids are the primary source of provitamin A with β carotene as the most well known source of it
Summary
Br.] known as bulrush or cattail millet, is the most important among a number of unrelated millet species grown for food worldwide (Angarawai et al, 2008). In India pearl millet is fifth most important grain crop next to rice, wheat, maize and sorghum. It is grown in more than 8.39 million hectares with current grain production of 9.5 million tonnes and productivity of 1091 kg/ha (Directorate of Economics and Statistics, 2011-2012). Carotenoids are C40 isoprenoid polyene compounds that form lipid soluble yellow, orange and red pigments. One of the most important physiological functions of carotenoids in human nutrition is to act as pro-Vitamin A (Vitamin A precursors like alpha carotene, beta carotene and beta cryptoxanthin)
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