Effects of germination time and drying temperature on chemical and sensory quality of finger millet flour

This study aimed to investigate the impact of germination time and drying temperature on the chemical and sensory properties of finger millet flour. Finger millet was collected, cleaned, soaked in water overnight at room temperature, strained and then spread over the muslin cloth. The germination was carried out at room temperature (27±2 °C) for 24, 48, and 72 h, followed by drying in a cabinet dryer at 80, 90, and 100°C. The dried samples were then milled using a pulp grinder. The effect of germination time and drying temperature on total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, glucose content, reducing sugars and total sugars was analyzed. The glucose content, reducing sugar and total sugar contents were found to be significantly higher in millet flour germinated for 72 h and dried at 80°C, while TPC and antioxidant activity were slightly lower. The samples were subjected to sensory evaluation in terms of color, smell, taste, flavor and overall acceptance. Germination of finger millet for 48 h followed by cabinet drying at 90 ℃ resulted in a significant increment of crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, iron, and calcium contents, whereas moisture and total ash contents were reduced. Sensory analysis showed that flour germinated for 48 h and dried at 90 °C received the highest mean sensory scores among all samples.