Studies On Seedlings Of Some Cereals For Their Nutritive Potential For Human Growth

Abstract

newlineThe true grasses are monocot (Class Liliopsida) plants of the Family Poaceae (formerly Gramineae). There are some 600 genera and perhaps 10,000 species of grasses. This family includes a great many species of considerable ecological and economic importance, such as lawn and forage grasses, wheat, rice, maize, corn and oat. Agricultural grasses grown for food production are called cereals. newlineCereals constitute the major source of calories for humans as rice in India and the Far East, maize in Mexico and wheat and barley in Europe and North America. Staple food grains are often called corn. newlineFood value newlineCereal grains supply most of their calories as starch. They are also a significant source of protein, though the amino acid balance is not optimal. Whole grains are good sources of dietary fiber, essential fatty acids, and other important nutrients. Rice is eaten as cooked entire grains, although rice flour is also produced. Oats are rolled, ground, or cut into bits (steel-cut oats) and cooked into porridge. Most other cereals are ground into flour or meal, that is milled. The outer layers of bran and germ are removed. This lessens the nutritional value but makes the grain more appealing to many palates. Health-conscious people tend to prefer whole grains, which are not milled. Overconsumption of milled cereals is sometimes blamed for obesity. Milled grains do keep better because the outer layers of the grains are rich in rancidity-prone fats. The waste from milling is sometimes mixed into a prepared animal feed. Once (optionally) milled and ground, the resulting flour is made into bread, pasta, desserts, dumplings, and many other products. Besides cereals, flour is sometimes made from potatoes and chestnuts newlineWheat newlineWheat is a grass that is cultivated around the world. Globally it is the second-largest cereal crop tied with maize and the third being rice. wheat grain is a staple food used to make flour, as livestock feed and for brewing beer. Wheat is also planted strictly as a forage crop for livestock and