Value addition to finger millet (Eleusine coracana) by germination and fermentation with Monascus purpureus.

The present investigation has been carried out to highlight the importance of germination and fermentation of finger millet with Monascus purpureus. Finger millet was subjected to (i) germination, (ii) to fermentation with M. purpureus, and (iii) germination followed by fermentation with M. purpureus. The results of this experiment suggest that the germinated (72 h) finger millet fermented (10 days) with M. purpureus showed reduction in phytic acid and tannin contents by 88.8% and 90.1%, respectively, with an increase of 61.5% HCl-extractable minerals, reducing sugars and soluble proteins thereby supporting the production of antihypercholesterolemic metabolite, statin.