Antioxidant Phenolics of Millet Control Lipid Peroxidation in Human LDL Cholesterol and Food Systems

Phenolic extracts from seven millet varieties, namely kodo, finger (Ravi), finger (local), proso, foxtail, little and pearl were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on lipid peroxidation in in-vitro copper-mediated human LDL cholesterol oxidation and several food model systems, namely cooked comminuted pork, stripped corn oil, and linoleic acid emulsion. The total phenolic content (TPC) and free radical scavenging activities were measured. The TPC ranged from 146 to 1156 mu mol ferulic acid equiv (FAE)/g crude extract and the corresponding values based on defatted weight of grain ranged from 8.6 to 32.4 mu mol FAE/g. At a final concentration of 0.05 mg/mL, millet extracts inhibited LDL cholesterol oxidation by 1-41%. All seven varieties exhibited effective inhibition of lipid oxidation in food systems used in this study and kodo millet exhibited superior inhibition of lipid peroxidation, similar to butylated hydroxyanisole at 200 ppm. Thus, millets may serve as a natural source of antioxidants in food applications and as a nutraceutical and functional food ingredient in health promotion and disease risk reduction.