Foxtail millet: a potential crop to meet future demand scenario for alternative sustainable protein

Abstract

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica), an annual grass plant, produces seeds that possess health‐promoting properties owing to its unique protein composition containing a high content of essential amino acids. The mature foxtail seeds mainly consist of proline‐rich, alcohol‐soluble proteins (prolamin) called setarins, comprising about 60% of the total protein, with less content of disulfide cross‐linked proteins than with other cereal and millets. Protein fractionation schemes are an important tool and provide preliminary information on the nature of foxtail proteins for their applications in the field of agriculture, food pharma, and bio‐based materials. Variation in the methods of preparation can influence the composition, structure, and nutritional quality of the protein concentrate. Moreover, foxtail protein or its hydrolysate has shown several bioactive effects that can be explored further for the management of chronic diseases in humans. Additionally, owing to its low cost and excellent functional properties of flour and protein concentrate, foxtail millet can be considered as good candidate for replacing animal protein foods. Furthermore, there is huge potential for successfully developing low‐cost, protein‐rich functional food products helpful in the prevention and management of lifestyle‐related chronic diseases. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry

Multi-omics intervention in Setaria to dissect climate-resilient traits: Progress and prospects

“…Also, the millets are gluten-free and have a low glycemic index ( Muthamilarasan and Prasad, 2021 ). Foxtail millet is considered an alternative sustainable protein source compared to other cereals and millets ( Sachdev et al, 2021 ). Being a rich source of zinc and iron, the consumption of millets imparts immunity ( Kumar et al, 2018 ).…”

Investigations on Functional and Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Gluten Free Cereal and Pseudocereal Flours

“…Foxtail millet contains high levels of protein and fiber [14]. The main protein fractions from foxtail millet are prolamins (up to 60% of the total protein content) and glutelins, which are rich in essential amino acids [15]. Foxtail millet has been listed among protein sources with good potential for replacing animal proteins in different types of products.…”

“…Foxtail millet has been listed among protein sources with good potential for replacing animal proteins in different types of products. It has been reported that foxtail millet proteins display bioactive effects that are promising for the efficient management of different human chronic diseases [15].…”

Functional characterisation of SiFPGS2 gene of foxtail millet in folates accumulation and root development

“…The publishments of many foxtail millet cultivars genome sequences and the discovery of model C4 plant species foxtail millet mutant xiaomi, provided the enormous convenience for the research of foxtail millet (Bennetzen et al 2012, Zhang et al 2012, Yang et al 2020. Hulled grain of foxtail millet is rich in nutrients including essential amino acids, fatty acids, minerals and vitamines (Sachdev et al 2021). Compared to the major crops, foxtail millet is rich of folates.…”