Influence of phenolics in finger millet on grain and malt fungal load, and malt quality

Phenolic type, fungal load, germinative energy (GE) and malt quality of finger millet grain types of varied kernel colour and phenolic content were analysed, to determine if phenolics in finger millet grain influence its malt quality. The fungal load (total fungal count (TFC) and infection levels) of the unmalted grain and malt were negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with total phenolics (TP) and amount of phenolic type (condensed tannins, anthocyanins and flavan-4-ols). High-phenol finger millet types had much higher malt quality than the low-phenol types, with respect to diastatic power (DP), and α- and β-amylase activities. GE, DP and α-amylase activity were positively correlated with TP and amount of phenolic type (p < 0.05) and negatively correlated with TFC (p < 0.01). Phenolics in finger millet grain influence its malt quality positively by contributing to attenuation of the fungal load on the germinating grain.