EFFECT OF RABADI FERMENTATION ON PHYTIC ACID AND INVITRO DIGESTIBILITY OF BARLEY

Rabadi, an indigenous fermented food, was prepared by mixing cereal fl our with buttermilk, allowing it to ferment at 30, 35 and 40-degrees-C for 6, 12, 18, 24 and 48 h and cooking the fermented mixture for 0.5 h with continuous stirring. Two types of rabadi were prepared i.e. aut oclaved and unautoclaved. In autoclaved type of rabadi cereal flour wa s mixed with water, autoclaved (0.103 MPa = 15 psi for 15 min), cooled , mixed with buttermilk and fermented. As this type of rabadi was prec ooked prior to fermentation, hence, the fermented product did not requ ire cooking afterwards, while in unautoclaved rabadi, barley flour and buttermilk were mixed, fermented and then cooked prior to consumption . Phytic acid was reduced drastically at all the temperatures and peri ods of fermentation in both autoclaved and unautoclaved type of rabadi ; greater reduction occurred at higher temperature and duration of fer mentation. A significant improvement in the in vitro digestibility of starch and protein was observed; maximum improvement was noticed when fermentation was carried out at 40-degrees-C for 48 h in both the type s of rabadi. Phytic acid had a significant (P < 0.05) negative correla tion with digestibility (in vitro) of proteins and starch of barley fl our rabadi.