Assessment of nutritional composition of barley genotypes under late sown irrigated condition

Abstract:

Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an important cereal crop recognized for its nutritional and functional food properties. Barley is a highly nutritious cereal grain that provides a wide range of health benefits, including enhanced digestion, improved cardiovascular health, effective weight management, and better regulation of blood sugar levels. The present study was conducted to determine the nutritional composition of thirty-six barley genotypes obtained from the Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal, Haryana. The grains were analyzed for crude protein, total sugar, crude fiber, crude fat, zinc, and iron content using standard analytical procedures including Micro-Kjeldahl method, phenol–sulphuric acid method, acid–alkali digestion, Soxhlet extraction, and Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry.

The results revealed that barley grains contained crude protein ranging from 9.05% (DWRUB 52) to 13.32% (BH 902) with a mean of 11.41%. Total sugar content varied from 1.61% (VLB 118) to 2.69% (RD 2668) with mean 2.17%, while crude fiber ranged between 3.13% (UPB 1008) and 5.45% (BHS 352) with an average of 4.33%. Crude fat content ranged from 1.31% (DWRUB 160) to 2.18% (DWRUB 52), averaging 1.86%. The micronutrient composition showed zinc content ranging from 1.48 (DWRUB 52) to 3.05 (HBL 713) mg/100 g (mean 2.16 mg/100 g) and iron content from 2.33 (NB2) to 4.63 (K 603) mg/100 g with a mean value of 3.57 mg/100 g. The findings demonstrate that barley grains possess appreciable levels of protein, dietary fiber, essential fatty components, and important micronutrients such as zinc and iron, highlighting their nutritional significance for human consumption and functional food applications.