Research Progress of Nutritional Ingredients, Functional Properties and Development Utilization of Finger Millet of Finger Millet

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana (L.) Gaertn.) is a medicinal and food homologous cereal that is rich in nutrients. The nutritional ingredients of finger millet mainly include starch, minerals, amino acids, dietary fiber and polyphenols, which have effects of anti-oxidation, lowering blood sugar, improving intestinal health and lowering blood pressure. At present, finger millet is mainly used to make various traditional foods with replacing a small amount of flour or other grains. The product is single and the nutritional value of finger millet cannot been fully utilized. The functional properties of finger millet are gradually noticed and utilized with the pursuit of food nutrition and health function. However, the research on the functional ingredients contained in finger millet is only at the experimental stage, and few functional products have been developed. The present review summarizes the nutritional and functional ingredients, functional properties and product development status of finger millet in recent years. This review aims to provide a theoretical basis for the in-depth study and applications of finger millet.