Phytochemical and Structural Portrayal of Barley and Pearl Millet Through FTIR and SEM

In the present study, Pennisetum glaucum variety Shahansha (F1 bajra) and Hordeum vulgare variety Talbina-21 were tested for nutritional profiling, and results exhibited that pearl millet was rich in moisture, fat, carbohydrate, and ash content; whereas, barley had a copious amount of protein and fiber content. Mineral composition analysis showed barley had a plentiful quantity of calcium (43.97 ± 0.06 mg/100 g), phosphorus (350.58 ± 1.39 mg/100 g) and sodium (36.31 ± 0.95 mg/100 g); whereas, pearl millet had higher iron (7.81 ± 0.05 mg/100 g), potassium (306.33 ± 3.2 mg/100 g) and magnesium (135.61 ± 2.19 mg/100 g). Barley also had a high concentration of total phenolic content (204.73 ± 5.5 mg GAE/g) and total flavonoid contents (134.72 ± 4.71 mg QE/g). Antioxidant activity measured through FRAP, ABTS, and DPPH tests indicated distinct antioxidant activity in barley for DPPH (105.72 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g) and ABTS assay (272.08 ± 5.80 μmol TEAC/100 g), while pearl millet showed stronger activity for FRAP assay (5.22 ± 0.04 TE/g). Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), functional groups in the flours were identified, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed that barley had smaller, spherical granules with smooth edges, while pearl millet had a rough, wrinkled surface with hollow cylindrical morphology. The compositional analysis of the flours revealed the presence of various sugars, proteins, ferulic acid, uronic acid, and dietary fiber components (arabinoxylan & β-glucan). Conclusively, millet and barley possess pronounced phenolic composition, high antioxidant potential, and dietary fibers like arabinoxylan & β-glucan offer substantial biological efficacy in human health interventions.