Little Millet Research Articles

Growth and yield of little millet (Panicum sumatrense L.) as influence by varieties and row spacings under rainfed condition

Growth and yield of little millet (Panicum sumatrense L.) as influence by varieties and row spacings under rainfed condition

Improvement of little millet (Panicum sumatrense) using novel omics platform and genetic resource integration.

This article explores possible future initiatives, such as the development of targeted breeding and integrated omics approach to boost little millet production, nutritional value, and environmental adaptation. Little millet (P. sumatrense) is a staple grain in many parts of Asia and Africa owing to its abundance in vitamins and minerals and its ability to withstand harsh agro-ecological conditions. Enhancing little millet using natural resources and novel crop improvement strategy is an effective way of boosting nutritional and food security. To understand the genetic makeup of the crop and figure out important characteristics linked to nutritional value, biotic and abiotic resistance, and production, researchers in this field are currently resorting on genomic technology. These realizations have expedited the crop's response to shifting environmental conditions by enabling the production of superior cultivarsthrough targeted breeding. Going forward, further improvements in breeding techniques and genetics may boost the resilience, nutritional content, and production of little millet, which would benefit growers and consumers alike. The research and development on littlemillet improvement using novel omics platform and the integration of genetic resources are summarized in this review paper. Improved cultivars of littlemillet that satisfy changing farmer and consumer demands have already been developed through the use of these novel breeding strategies. This article also explores possible future initiatives, such as the development of targeted breeding, genomics, and sustainable agriculture methods. The potential for these measures to boost littlemillet's overall production, nutritional value, and climate adaptation will be extremely helpful in addressing nutritional security.

Effect of halo priming on germination and growth parameters of finger millet, little millet, and barnyard millet under osmotic stress

Seed priming has gained attention as a sustainable approach to improve crop performance. Halopriming, in particular, has shown promise in enhancing germination, growth, and stress tolerance. This study aimed to assess the effect of halopriming on the growth of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) variety CO(Ra) 15, little millet (Panicum sumatrense) variety ATL 1, and barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumentacea) variety CO(KV) 2 in osmotic conditions. The experiment used different salt solutions with 0, 1, and 1.8 g/L NaCl concentrations. In Hp1 (halo priming 1) finger millet variety CO(Ra) 15, 100% seed germination was observed in normal conditions. In Hp2, the little millet variety ATL 1 has shown 100% seed germination under osmotic stress with a concentration of 1 g/L NaCl (S1). In Hp1, barnyard millet variety CO(KV)2 showed 100% seed germination under osmotic stress with a concentration of 1.8 g/L NaCl (S2). Various growth parameters were recorded, and results showed that the barnyard millet variety Co (KV)2 and the little millet variety ATL 1, both under the Hp1 category, demonstrated the longest shoot lengths of 7.3 cm and 5.85 cm respectively under salt stress (S1). Furthermore, In Hp 1 finger millet variety CO(Ra) 15 recorded the highest root length of 12.25 under salt stress (S2). Vigour Index showed that Hp1 showed positive results regarding the germination percentage and seedling growth of finger millet variety CO(Ra) 15 and little millet variety ATL 1. This study suggested halopriming is an effective technique for promoting sustainable agriculture, especially in areas affected by salinity stress.

A comprehensive analysis on nutritional composition, functional properties, antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory potential of selected minor millet grains

Minor millets regarded as storehouse of proteins, dietary fibres, minerals, vitamins, fatty acids and phytochemicals have nutrigenomic role in human health. Determination of such components is an essential approach to choose highly efficient millet grains. Hence, this study has estimated and compared the mineral composition, proximates, functional properties, phytochemical and in vitro pharmacological properties of the seed grains of Setaria italica (Foxtail millet), Echinochloa frumentacea (Barnyard millet), Paspalum scrobiculatum (Kodo millet), and Panicum sumatrense (Little millet) cultivated in Kolli hills of Tamil Nadu, India. Mineral analysis revealed the presence of calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc. Occurrence of high content of protein, carbohydrate and vitamin E were also ascertained. The proximate composition (moisture, ash, crude lipid, and crude fibre) and functional features (water and oil absorbing capacity, bulk density, foaming and emulsifying property) of these millet flours have demonstrated their potential in food product formulation, particularly weaning foods. Total phenolic content was ranged between 53.28±0.71 and 110.42 ± 1.42 mg GAE g−1 of dried extract; and total flavonoid content was in the range of 23.80±1.09 to 65.1 ± 1.23 mg QE g−1 of dried extract in the studied millets. Significant free radical scavenging and enzyme inhibition activity was observed in P. sumatrense (IC50 of 128.92±1.18 µg mL−1 in DPPH assay), E. frumentacea (IC50 of 120.89±1.46 µg mL−1 in ABTS assay and 126.52±0.78 µg mL−1 in tyrosinase inhibition assay), S. italica (IC50 of 119.94±1.40 µg mL−1 in SO radical scavenging assay) and P. scrobiculatum (IC50 of 101.59±1.27 µg mL−1 in α-amylase enzyme inhibition assay and 94.63±0.78 µg mL−1 in α-glucosidase enzyme inhibition assay). The findings highlight the nutraceutical ability of these minor millets which can be employed as a valuable ingredient in food product preparation.

Evaluating Little Millet (Panicum sumatrense L.) Based Intercropping System on Growth, Yield and Nutrient Status of Soil under Rainfed Condition

Aims: To determine the suitable component crop and its row pattern for enhancing growth and yield of little millet under intercropping system. Study Design: Randomized complete Block Design (RBD). Place and Duration of Study: The field experiment was carried out during the rabi season from October 2023 – January 2024 at Instructional north farm in Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Methodology: This field experiment consists of 3 replications with eleven treatments viz., T1 – Little millet sole crop, T2 – Little millet + black gram (4:1), T3 – Little millet + black gram (6:1), T4 – Little millet + green gram (4:1), T5 – Little millet + green gram (6:1), T6 – Little millet + redgram (4:1), T7 – Little millet + redgram (6:1), T8 – Little millet + cowpea (4:1), T9 – Little millet + cowpea (6:1), T10 – Little millet + bengal gram (4:1), T11 – Little millet + bengal gram (6:1). Results: The results of the experiment showed that T2 little millet + black gram (4:1) recorded the higher growth parameters like plant height (127.6 and 133.6 cm at 60 DAS and at harvest stage) and LAI of 5.23 and 4.84 at 60 DAS and at harvest stage, respectively and also produced higher yield parameters like no.of tillers plant-1 (9) and no.of productive tillers (8) with higher grain and stover yield of 1326 and 4109 kg ha-1 and it is statistically parallel with T4 little millet + green gram (4:1). And also, nutrient uptake was highest (N – 40.8, P – 5.7 and K – 33.5 kg ha-1) in little millet + black gram (6:1). Regarding the post harvest soil fertility status, little millet + cowpea (4:1) registered the highest available NPK (339, 47.6 and 197 kg ha-1). Therefore, intercropping of black gram or green gram with little millet under rainfed condition would be the ideal recommendation.

Insights into Genetic Variability Parameters and Character Association among Agro-morphological and Biochemical Traits in Little Millet (Panicum sumatrense Roth. Ex. Roem and Schultz)

A set of 64 little millet genotypes was evaluated for their genetic variability parameters, principal components, and their contribution to total variance using seven agro-morphological and four biochemical traits in alpha lattice design with two replications. The mean performance revealed the presence of substantial variability for the characters studied. The phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) and genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV) estimated ranged from 18.28% to 43.75% and 10.06% to 42.75%, respectively. Even though PCV was found to be significantly greater than GCV for the number of tillers, a slightly higher PCV over GCV was observed for all the other traits, suggesting a limited environmental influence for the majority of the traits. High heritability was observed for all agro-morphological and biochemical traits (84.00-94.00%), except for the number of tillers (42.00%), which exhibited moderate heritability. Genetic advance as a percentage of mean (GAM) was high for most of the traits, viz., days to 50% flowering, plant height, panicle length, single plant yield, test weight, grain protein, iron, zinc, and calcium contents. suggesting the predominance of additive gene action and the greater possibility of genetic improvement through simple phenotypic selection. Majority of the contribution towards the total divergence by days to 50% flowering, days to maturity, plant height, number of tillers, panicle length, single plant yield, and grain calcium content coupled with significant and positive correlations of majority of grain yield components with grain yield suggested that these traits are the key drivers of variability that could be exploited through a little millet improvement program.

Nutri-cereal tissue-specific transcriptome atlas during development: Functional integration of gene expression to identify mineral uptake pathways in little millet (Panicum sumatrense).

Little millet (Panicum sumatrense Roth ex Roem. & Schult.) is an essential minor millet of southeast Asia and Africa's temperate and subtropical regions. The plant is stress-tolerant, has a short life cycle, and has a mineral-rich nutritional profile associated with unique health benefits. We report the developmental gene expression atlas of little millet (genotype JK-8) from ten tissues representing different stages of its life cycle, starting from seed germination and vegetative growth to panicle maturation. The developmental transcriptome atlas led to the identification of 342 827 transcripts. The BUSCO analysis and comparison with the transcriptomes of related species confirm that this study presents high-quality, in-depth coverage of the little millet transcriptome. In addition, the eFP browser generated here has a user-friendly interface, allowing interactive visualizations of tissue-specific gene expression. Using these data, we identified transcripts, the orthologs of which in Arabidopsis and rice are involved in nutrient acquisition, transport, and response pathways. The comparative analysis of the expression levels of these transcripts holds great potential for enhancing the mineral content in crops, particularly zinc and iron, to address the issue of "hidden hunger" and to attain nutritional security, making it a valuable asset for translational research.

Genetic variability and character associations for grain yield and other secondary traits in little millet (Panicum sumatrense L.) at Eastern Ghats Zone of Odisha

Genetic variability and character associations for grain yield and other secondary traits in little millet (Panicum sumatrense L.) at Eastern Ghats Zone of Odisha

A root-associated Bacillus albus LRS2 and its metabolites for plant growth promotion and drought stress tolerance in little millet (Panicum sumatrense L.)

The exploitation of drought-tolerant plant-associated bacteria in sustainable agriculture is considered potential for boosting plant growth and development under adverse environments featured by low water potentials. Herein, the present study aimed to decode the drought-tolerant root-associated bacteria from little millet (Panicum sumatrense L.). A sum of 25 bacterial isolates was obtained from roots of little millet (Var. ATL1) grown under induced drought conditions (-10 bars). They were initially assessed for their capacity to tolerate the drought up to – 36.6 bars (-3.6 MPa) on PEG (PEG 6000) infused agar plates and of which, 9 isolates (LRS1, LRS2, LRS6, LRS9, LRS14, LRS17, LRS22, LRS23, LRS25) were selected. Further, the cultures were assessed for their plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits such as the production of 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACCd), exopolysaccharide (EPS), siderophore, indole acetic acid (IAA), ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and plant nutrition properties including phosphorous, potassium, and zinc. Of three isolates, LRS2 produced the highest ACCd (147 mol α- ketobutyrate mg protein–1h–1), IAA (15.89 μg mL–1), siderophore (54.85 % ) and P solubilization compared to other isolates. Further, the potential isolates LRS2, LRS22 and LRS23 were identified as Bacillus albus, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Enterobacter sp. respectively based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Biotization of little millet seeds (ATL1) with these strains showed that the inoculation of B. albus LRS2 elevated the plant germination (33 %), shoot length (13.5 %), and root length (25.2 %) followed by LRS23 with plant germination (22 %), shoot length (12.2 %) and root length (13.2 %) under induced drought stress (-0.45 MPa). Besides, metabolite profiling of B. albus LRS2 under induced stress analyzed in GC–MS yielded several drought-tolerant metabolites belonging to the class viz., organic acids, fatty acids, amino acid and its derivatives, organoheterocyclic compounds, and benzenoids. The compounds responsible for drought tolerance such as phenol, proline, fumaric acid, ascorbic acid, and gibberellic acid are more pronounced under induced drought stress (PEG 6000) which would aid in drought stress tolerance and facilitate plant health and fitness. These results implied that B. albus LRS2, a root-associated drought-tolerant endophytic bacteria, would enhance plant growth under drought stress, and lay a foundation for developing a novel bioinoculant for mitigating abiotic stress and promoting sustainable little millet production.

Stability Analyses for Yield and Its Components in Little Millet (Panicum sumatrense L.)

Linear regression model of Eberhart and Russell is used to identify high yielding stable little millet genotypes suitable across environments. Pooled analysis of variance revealed significant genetic variability among the little millet genotypes for yield and yield attributing traits. Significant variability among environments confirms the heterogeneity in the locations for the traits. Significant genotype x environment interaction for all the traits indicated differential response of the genotypes for the traits in different locations. Among genotypes BL-6, LMNDL-4, LMNDL-3, OLM 203, VS 13, VS 15, VS 19, VS 25 and VS 6, with a regression coefficient near to unity and non-significant deviation from regression, were considered to be highly stable and suitable to all environments for fodder yield. For grain yield VS10 and VS 19 genotypes recorded regression coefficient near to unity with non-significant deviation from regression were considered to be stable in all the environments. GGE biplot model were used to evaluate stability for important traits; fodder yield and grain yield and test location representativeness in little millet genotypes. The testing locations were partitioned into two mega environments (ME) for fodder yield. ME1 was represented by Nandyal and Vizianagaram with OLM 203 as the winning genotype, while in ME 2 which was represented by Perumallapalle with LMNDL 4 performed well. Genotype VS 10 was stable for fodder yield in all the environments.For grain yield over pooled locations, BL 6 performed well at Perumallapalle location while LMNDL 5 performed well at Nandyal. Genotype VS 6 was the best genotype for Vizianagaram. The genotype VS 19 was near to origin and it was considered as stable for all the environments.

Multivariate analysis for assessing the genetic diversity and association patterns of yield attributing traits in little millet (Panicum sumatrense)

Multivariate analysis for assessing the genetic diversity and association patterns of yield attributing traits in little millet (Panicum sumatrense)

Thermodynamic and network characteristics of optimized lysine-modified kutki (Panicum sumatrense) millet starch hydrogels.

Three-dimensional polymeric network of hydrogels avoids its dissolution into the aqueous region. Hydrogels must have strong structural integrity to be used for drug/nutraceutical delivery. A three factor-three-level Box-Behnken design was used to understand the effects of starch concentration, NaCl, and pH on the textural and structural integrity of Lysine modified kutki millet starch hydrogels. Various kinetic models were fitted to the time-course measurement of shrinkage behavior of both conventionally (CDHG) and freeze-dried (FDHG) hydrogel. Increasing the swelling temperature (5-50°C) showed values of higher molecular weight of polymer chains between neighboring crosslinks (g/mol) for FDHG (9539.59-56,769.72) than CDHG (1096.28-11,420.48). Similarly, mesh size (ξ) was more for FDHG (38.63-109.53 Ȧ) than CDHG (10.97-42.74 Ȧ). However, other network parameters such as polymer volume fraction ( ) was lower for FDHG (0.229-0.146) than CDHG (0.3882-0.222). These values suggest low swelling power of CDHG compared to FDHG. Thermodynamically, FDHG took less energy to swell than CDHG. The study showed that FDHG has better properties than CDHG and could be employed in nutraceutical delivery. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-024-05953-x.

In Vitro Evaluation of Alpha Amylase and Alpha Glucosidase Inhibitory Activity of Kamadhenu Ark extracts of Climate Smart Crop Millets

Diabetes Mellitus is characterized by abnormal Metabolism of glucose. The maintenance of glucose levels in blood without any side effects is still challenging in the medication of this disease. Various medical approaches like Allopathy, Homeopathy, Ayurveda, Unani etc are striving a lot for success in this field of medication. Present study is aimed to evaluate the Antidiabetic activity of Millets in combination with Kamadhenu Ark as solvent for the probable alpha Amylase and alpha Glucosidase inhibitory activities to reduce hyperglycemia. The Millets namely Paspalum scrobiculatum, Panicum miliaceum, Panicum sumatrense were selected for the study. The Kamadhenu Ark Extracts were prepared by Maceration method. The extracts were used for the estimation of alpha amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibition activity. Extract of Panicum miliaceum exhibited highest α amylase and α glucosidase inhibitory potential with IC50 values of 0.239 and 1.526 mg/ml, respectively, which was comparable with acarbose (0.258 and 1.985 mg/ml). Extracts of Paspalum scrobiculatum and Panicum sumatrense have shown low activity. Present study paves a new path revealing the effective inhibition of α amylase and α glucosidase by Kamadhenu Ark extract of Panicum miliaceum (Proso Millet KPM).

Apoplast-associated Bacillus amyloliquefaciens LAS10 for plant growth promotion and drought stress tolerance in little millet (Panicum sumatransae)

Bacterial endophytes thriving in the apoplast could be tailored to withstand environmental challenges, thereby contributing to plant stress resilience. Developing plant growth-promoting (PGP) bacteria resilient to drought is crucial for sustainable agriculture and improved crop production under stress conditions. Thus, the present study aimed to decode the drought-tolerant apoplast-associated PGP bacteria from little millet (Panicum sumatrense L.) and profile its functional traits including the metabolites for PGP and drought resilience. The drought tolerant PGP bacterial isolates from apoplastic fluids of little millet (Var. ATL1) grown under stressed conditions (-10 bars) on polyethylene glycol (PEG) (PEG 6000) infused agar plates revealed that a total of 12 isolates, were initially screened for their ability to tolerate drought up to –36.6 bars (–3.6 MPa) and of which, 6 isolates (LAS1, LAS2, LAS4, LAS6, LAS9, and LAS10) were selected. Further, screening for their plant growth-promoting (PGP) traits such as 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACCd) production, exopolysaccharide production, potassium (K), phosphorous (P), and Zinc (Zn) nutrition, indole acetic acid (IAA) production, siderophore production, ammonia, and hydrogen cyanide (HCN) exhibited higher PGP potentials in LAS10 followed by LAS2 and LAS4. Of three potential isolates (LAS10, LAS2, and LAS4), LAS10 produced the highest ACCd (147 n moles α- ketobutyrate mg–1h–1), IAA (15.9 μg mL–1), siderophore (54.9 % units) and P solubilization compared to other isolates. Further, isolate LAS10 was identified as Bacillus amyloliquefaciens based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Metabolite profiling of B. amyloliquefaciens LAS10 in GC–MS under induced stress conditions yielded several drought-tolerant metabolites belonging to the class viz., organic acids, fatty acids, amino acid and its derivatives, organoheterocyclic compounds, and benzenoids. The compounds responsible for drought tolerance such as phenol, proline, fumaric acid, ascorbic acid, and gibberellic acid are more pronounced under induced drought stress (PEG 6000) which would aid in drought stress tolerance and facilitate plant health and fitness. These results implied that B. amyloliquefaciens LAS10, an apoplast-associated drought-tolerant endophytic bacteria, would enhance plant growth under drought stress, and can be further extrapolated as a newer bio inoculant for abiotic stress mitigation and sustainable production in little millet.

Antimicrobial and phytotoxicity activity of essential oils from waste leaves of Curcuma longa

Curcuma longa L. is a herbaceous crop that is used for wide applications. The economic importance of C. longa is the rhizome but the leaves remain as wastes. The present study aims to extract the essential oils from the waste leaves of four different varieties of C. longa and to evaluate the antimicrobial activity against plant pathogens and phytotoxic activities of essential oils on seed germination. The major components of EO were monoterpenes with abundant percentage varying across the varieties. The major compounds in Rajendra Sonia were α-terpinolene (14.64%), m-cymen-8-ol (14.02%), 5-isopropenyl-2-methyl-7-oxabicyclo [4.1.0]heptan-2-ol (11.13%), in Rajendra Sonali were α-terpinolene (13,91%), m-cymen-8-ol (11.18%), exo-2-hydroxycineole (13.0%), in IISR-Alleppy Supreme were α-phellandrene (12.84%), α-terpinolene (7.77%), and in IISR-Roma were cis-2,3-pinanediol (17.55%), p-cymene (11.76%). EO exhibited notable antimicrobial activity against plant pathogens albeit to a different degree and in a dose-dependent manner. EO from Rajendra Sonali and Roma inhibited 74% of growth of Bipolaris oryzae as compared to the control while EO from IISR-Alleppy and Roma inhibited the growth of Xanthamonas oryzae more effectively as compared to other EO. Furthermore, EO exhibited phytotoxicity effect and inhibited germination of seeds by 62.91% in Triticum aestivum, 76.1% in Panicum sumatrense and 78.6% in Abelmoschus esculentus and inhibition increased significantly with increased concentration of the essential oils with the exception in Zea mays where inhibition was 20.6% and found not significant. The findings from the study suggest that EO from turmeric waste leave could be valorized and have potential for application in pest control management.

Synergistic Effects of Germination and Ultrasonication on Nutritional and Structural Characteristics of Kodo (Paspalum scrobiculatum) and Little (Panicum sumatrense) Millet

This study aimed to investigate the nutritional and structural properties of kodo (Paspalum scrobiculatum) and little (Panicum sumatrense) millets on administering ultrasonication and germination treatments. Significant changes in the treated samples were recorded, including lower levels of antinutrients such as tannin and phytates, and higher antioxidant activity, improving their nutritional value. The treated kodo and little millets showed significantly improved nutritional bio‐accessibility, with an impressive in vitro protein digestibility of >82%. The modified structure of the starch granules in the treated millets showed pseudoplastic flow characteristics and a polyhedron/spherical morphology which was a novel finding. DSC thermogram revealed that the treated millets may be processed at higher temperatures while exhibiting a lower enthalpy, which could expand their uses in a range of food products. FTIR spectra indicated the presence of phenolic groups in both millet samples studied, at approximately 2817 cm⁻1 frequency. The results obtained offer insightful information about the benefits of ultrasonication and germination for processing kodo and little millets in terms of altered starch characteristics, enhanced bio‐accessibility of nutrients, and better nutritional profiles, which qualify millets for the development of functional food products.

Utilization of thermal indices for production of nutri-cereals in non-traditional areas of Bihar

An experiment was conducted during summer seasons of 2017 and 2018 on clay-loam soil of the ICAR-Research Complex for Eastern Region, Patna, Bihar, to study the performance of different nutri-cereals and their heat-unit requirements to complete their phenological cycles. Significantly higher grain yield, i.e. 1.92, 1.76 and 1.53 t/ha, was achieved in barnyard millet (Echinochloa esculenta (A. Braun) H. Scholz) followed by sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] and pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.], respectively. Whereas the higher straw and biological yields were observed in sorghum (8.91 and 10.8 t/ha), pearl millet (7.14 and 8.67 t/ha) and little millet (Panicum sumatrense Roth ex Roem. & Schult.) (5.50 and 6.67 t/ha). Barnyard millet also showed the maximum crop productivity (24 kg/ha/day). Remarkably higher biomass productivity was noted in sorghum (114.7 kg/ha/day), followed by pearl millet and little millet (96.3 and 85.5 kg/ha/day). Pearl millet (702.9°C-day) accumulated the minimum growing degree-days (GDD) to attain 50% flowering. Further, pearl millet (4,111. 4°C day-hr) being at par with proso-millet (Panicum miliaceum L.) (4,280.3°C day-hr) and little millet (4,295.7°C day hr) attained significantly lower heliothermal units (HTU) to reach 50% flowering. Barnyard millet (1.25 kg/ha °C-day), followed by sorghum and pearl millet (1.01 and 0.91 kg/ha °C-day) acquired considerably higher HUE for grain production. Sorghum (6.11 kg/ha °C-day) followed by pearl millet (5.17 kg/ha °C-day) and little millet (4.48 kg/ha °Cday) captured significantly maximum HUE for biomass production. Our results indicated that, cultivation of nutri-cereals such as barnyard millet, sorghum, pearl millet and little millet is a viable option to utilize the fallow period (summer season) for achieving the nutritional security and realizing the livelihood improvement in this region.

Optimizing the effect of ultrasonication and germination on antinutrients and antioxidants of kodo (Paspalum scrobiculatum) and little (Panicum sumatrense) millets.

Kodo (Paspalum scrobiculatum) and little (Panicum sumatrense) millet grains were utilized to minimize their antinutrient content (phytate and tannin) and maximize their antioxidant activity (DPPH) by studying the effect of ultrasonication time, germination time and temperature using central composite rotatable design. Results revealed the optimum conditions for producing ultrasonicated and germinated kodo and little millet flour of the highest antioxidant activity and lowest antinutrient content (phytate and tannin) by using 30min for ultrasonication, 72h for germination at 40°C. Further, a second order model was developed to describe and predict the effect of process variables on antioxidant activity and antinutrient contents. Extended experiments were carried out under the optimized conditions to validate the developed model. The antioxidant activity obtained was 88.46% RSA and 89.06% RSA for kodo and little millet grain flours, respectively whereas antinutrient content for phytate was 0.165mol/kg and 0.199mol/kg and for tannin 2.88mol/kg and 9.51mol/kg, for kodo and little millet grain flours, respectively. This study provides useful information about the potential utilization of ultrasonicated and germinated kodo and little millet grain flours for the development of functional foods.

De novo transcriptome sequencing of drought tolerance-associated genes in little millet (Panicum sumatrense L.).

The genome size of the little millet Panicum sumatrense is unknown, although its genome is fairly diploid (2n = 4x = 36). Despite tremendous nutritional value and adaptability to adverse climatic conditions, P. sumatrense use was limited by their low palatability, coarse grain, and lack of variety of culinary preparations. Hence, understanding how to vary their usage to offer food and nutritional security in the continuously changing modern world, the proposed study was aimed to determine potential genes and metabolites implicated in drought resistance. The drought-resistant genotype of tiny millet OLM-203/Tarini was offered in pots under both relaxed and demanding circumstances. The experimental seedlings were 32days old and had been under water stress for 23days. A total of 7606 genes were compared between 23 and 32days for roots and 7264 total genes were compared between 23 and 32days for leaves, according to a research on differential expression genes (DEGs). Twenty essential genes for drought tolerance were up-or down-regulated in the control and treated roots of the OLM-203 genotype. For instance, the genes RS193 and XB34 were up-regulated in leaves while, WLIM1 was found to be down-regulated. Gene SKI35 was up-regulated in roots, whereas MPK6 and TCMOp1 were down-regulated in root samples. The roots and leaves of the tiny millet OLM-203 genotype expressed 36 up-regulated and 21 down-regulated serine transcripts, respectively. Gene annotations for leaf samples were classified as having "molecular function" (46%), "cellular component" (19%), and "biological process" (35%), while root sample gene annotations were categorized as having "biological process" (573 contigs), "molecular function" (401 contigs), and "cellular components" (166 contigs). Noteworthy, polyamines play a crucial role in drought stress tolerance in the genotype, and it was found that top ten DEGs encoding for polyamines were common in two tissues (leaf and root). Collectively, transcriptomics profiling (RNA-seq) unveiled transcriptional stability drought stress provide a new insight in underlying modus of operandi in little millet genotype "OLM-203/Tarini" in response to heat stress.

PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND STUDY OF ANTI-MICROBIAL, ANTI-HAEMOLYTIC, ANTI-FUNGAL AND ANTI-OXIDANT ACTIVITIES OF ETHANOL EXTRACT OF PANICUM SUMATRENSE LEAVES

Little millets (Panicum Sumatrense) are of immense importance both medically and economically. Scientifically proven that the grains of little millets are nutritionally well. In the present research work, the less explored, underutilized, nutrient-rich and easily available Panicum sumatrense leaves were analysed for their phytochemical constituents and anti-oxidant or anti-haemolytic activity. The ethanolic extract of the little millet was examined to proximate, phytochemical determinations and anti-oxidant, anti–haemolytic, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activity. It was found that the given sample contains important Phytochemicals. The extract prepared using leaves of Panicum sumatrense was evaluated for their antioxidant activity, anti-haemolytic activity using UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The antibacterial and antifungal activity tests were performed using the Agar well diffusion method. Anti-bacterial activity of ethyl alcohol extract and n-hexane extract was higher for Escherichia coli and In Staphylococcus aureus extract was slightly low effective. Anti-fungal activity of ethanolic and n-hexane extract was not satisfactory. The leaves extract showed that both anti-oxidant, anti-hemolytic and anti-bacterial activity increased with increasing concentration. Thus, the result revealed the anti-oxidant anti-haemolytic and anti-bacterial activity of the underutilized leaves of Panicum sumatrense.