Textural characterization of foxtail millet gels: effect of cations and hydrocolloids

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica) is traditionally cultivated in mainly dry land areas and has nutritional importance. The textural characteristics of gels, formed with foxtail millet flour at different concentrations (9-13 %, dry solid basis) along with selected cations and hydrocolloids, were determined. Different concentrations of monovalent (NaCl) and divalent (CaCl2 and FeSO4) cations, and hydrocolloids such as gelatin, gellan, starch, xanthan and agar were incorporated in gels. The gel forming ability markedly improved with an increase in the concentrations of CaCl2 and FeSO4, while NaCl had a marginal effect. Gels prepared with 11 % of foxtail millet alone were found to sensorially acceptable while addition of 0.5 % CaCl2 or 0.2 % FeSO4 respective with 10 % foxtail millet also resulted in acceptable gels. Among the hydrocolloids, starch and gellan had marked effects on gel formation, and textural and sensory attributes. The principal component analysis (PCA) plot showed that concentration of foxtail millet formed a cluster with sensory hardness, springiness, cohesiveness, and instrumental peak stress, fracture strain and compression energy indicating that these attributes were interrelated to each other. Stickiness and gelling time formed a cluster on the other side of the axis indicating inversely related. Foxtail millet has a good potential for development of new ranges of gelled health benefiting convenience products with nutraceutical property, and the addition of cations helps to achieve acceptable structural integrity.