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Millet (Setaria Italica): Its Amino Acid and Niacin Content and Supplementary Nutritive Value for Corn (Maize)¹

Division of Nutrition, Department of Biochemistry and Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medioine, Nashville, Tennessee

1. Microbiological analyses of Italian millet (Setaria italica) for the essential amino acids suggested that this cereal was deficient in lysine, but of high tryptophan content. The analytical data were confirmed by the findings that millet will correct the niacin deficiency (mainly by virtue of its tryptophan content) induced in the rat by a diet of 9% casein + 40% maize and that the addition of 1% lysine to an 89% millet diet increased the growth of weanling rats 4 to 5-fold.

2. The addition of 1% lysine to a diet of 40% maize + 40% millet improved growth considerably, but no growth response was obtained by lysine addition to a diet of 80% maize + 10% millet unless niacin and tryptophan were also added. As millet is added to a maize diet the character of the diet changes from one that is deficient in niacin, tryptophan and lysine to one that is deficient in lysine alone.

3. It is concluded that the low incidence of pellagra in maize-millet-consuming areas is a reflection of the high tryptophan content of the latter cereal.

^* A portion of these data are taken from a thesis submitted to Vanderbilt University by one of the authors (A.S.M.) in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Biochemistry.

Manuscript received 1 February 1957.