Sugars Content of Pearl Millet as Diversed among Cultivars and Affected by Germination

Abstract

Ten pearl millet (Pennisetum americanum) cultivars were germinated along with one sorghum cultivar for 96 h. Various sugars were determined at intervals of 24 h over a total of 96 h. The germinated grains were dried and polished. The polished pearl millet malt was milled, defatted and the sugars extracted with 80% ethanol for 6 h. The quantities of individual soluble sugars were estimated with high performance liquid chromatography. The sucrose, maltose, glucose and fructose contents of the grains increased significantly (p<0.05) with increase in germination time. The maltose content of unmalted LCRI-IC 9701, ICMV-IS 94208, GWAGWA, G.1-14.9, GB 8735 and GI-297-1 was not detected. Most of the grains reached their various optimum sugar levels at 72 h of germination. SOSAT C-88 had higher (p<0.05) various sugar levels, followed by ZANGO, G.I-14.9 and G.I-297.1. Therefore, these pearl millet cultivars have been found to be good source of sucrose, maltose, glucose and fructose.