M.U. Useh1, C.F. Eze2
1Chemistry Advanced Research Centre, Sheda Science and Technology Complex, Abuja, Nigeria.
2Department of Plant Health Management, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria.
(Manuscript received 30 April 2025; accepted for publication 15 September 2025)
Abstract. Cereals are known as the global staple foods and largest source of energy for millions of people. These foods are primarily made of starchy staples which have poor nutrient density. Malting is one of the modification techniques used to improve the quality of the starch-based cereals. Triticum aestivum, Zea mays and Pennisetum glaucum used as staple foods and in the formulation of weaning foods were evaluated for changes in physicochemical properties resulting from malting. The result revealed that total polyphenol content (TPC) was higher (p<0.05) in all malted samples compared to the unmalted samples which was the control. Crude fibre, crude fat, carbohydrate, phytate, tannin and bulk density of the three kinds of cereal studied were significantly (p < 0.05) reduced due to malting. Conversely, malting yielded apparent increase in grain protein contents and calorific values while drastically lowered the paste viscosity of cereal flours, especially Pennisetum glaucum. Radical scavenging activity (RSA) was also observed to be higher (p<0.05) in all malted samples compared to unmalted flour except for Triticum aestivum sample. More so, malting improved the water absorption capacity (WAC) of the grains significantly (p<0.05) compared to that of the control while the water solubility index (WSI) increased by more than 100% with malting. The sensory properties of the malted cereals, especially flavor, were improved through kilning, presenting significant potential for food, beverage, and cosmetic applications. This study showed that, malting’s transformative role in cereal (Triticum aestivum, Zea mays and Pennisetum glaucum) modification offers substantial implications for nutritional enhancement, food security, and market opportunities across Africa and the world at large.