~ 2535 ~ International Journal of Chemical Studies 2018; 6(3): 2535-2537 P-ISSN: 2349–8528 E-ISSN: 2321–4902 IJCS 2018; 6(3): 2535-2537 © 2018 IJCS Received: 24-03-2018 Accepted: 25-04-2018 Mridula S Barooah Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Home Science, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India Mamoni Das Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Home Science, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India Lipika Chatterjee Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Home Science, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India Chandrama Baruah Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Home Science, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India Sushmita Khatoniar Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Home Science, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India Correspondence Mridula S Barooah Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Home Science, Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Assam, India Nutrient composition of some traditional breakfast cereals of Assam Mridula S Barooah, Mamoni Das, Lipika Chatterjee, Chandrama Baruah and Sushmita Khatoniar Abstract The study was undertaken to assess the nutrient composition of some selected traditional breakfast cereals of Assam such as Komal chawl, Bora chawl, Sandahguri, Red rice and Red chira. The selected cereals were evaluated for their nutritional quality for its mineral content and total antioxidant capacity. Among the minerals, the iron and calcium content were found highest in Red chira which are 16.60 mg/100g and 5.10 mg/100g respectively. Red rice contained highest phosphorous content (114.00mg/100g) followed by Red chira (95.00mg/100g) and the lowest content was found in Bora chawl (43.00mg/100g). The potassium content ranged from 62.00 mg/100g to 130.00mg/100g with the lowest in Bora chawl and highest in Red chira. The total antioxidant capacity was highest in Red rice which was 160mg/100g of sample followed by Sandahguri which was 77.50mg/100g. The antioxidant activity for Red chira, Bora chawl and Komal chawl were 68.80mg/100g, 53.00mg/100g and 50.00mg/100g respectively. Results generated in this study might be able to provide vital information’s on identifying ‘superior traditional breakfast cereals of Assam’, based on their mineral content as well as on their total antioxidant activity. Keywords: Breakfast cereals, antioxidant activity, mineral content Introduction Cereal grains have been the major component of man’s diet throughout the world for centuries. The grains are named cereals after the Roman Goddess Ceres, Goddess of grain. Rice, Oryza sativa L., is one of the most important cereals in the world and is the staple food of East, South East and South Asia. Among the north-eastern states of India, Assam is unique in terms of a mixed culture as well as both hilly and low land vegetation. Assam has enriched its genetic pool where rice varieties of wide genetic diversities are found. With rice being the traditional staple crop in the state, it is also used as processed products to celebrate festive occasions and to consume as breakfast cereals (Borah, 2000) [6] . Breakfast cereals play an important role in a balanced diet (McKevith and Jarzebowska, 2010) [11] and dietary guidelines state that the high nutrient dense breakfast cereals (especially whole grain breakfast cereals) makes them a significant source of vital nutrients (NHMRC, 2013) [13] . In addition to it breakfast cereals are also potentially imperative sources of antioxidants (Ryan et al., 2011) [19] and phytoestrogens (Kuhnle et al., 2009) [9] . Now-a-days, inevitable ranges of breakfast cereals differing in shapes, sizes and flavours are available fortified with vitamins and minerals and play a positive role in maintaining a balanced and healthy diet. In modern times with nuclear family becoming the norm, people are depending more and more on these types of convenience foods to manage with time and labour factors. The rice products of Assam are also convenience foods and are traditionally being consumed as ready-to-eat breakfast cereals. A unique characteristic of these rice products is that they soften and become consumable on simple soaking in water. The significant rice products of Assam are Komal chawl, Bora chawl, Sandahguri, Hurum, etc. Komal chawl is a whole grain, ready-to-eat product, which needs no cooking and can be consumed after simply soaking in cold to lukewarm water. Sandahguri is obtained as a coarsely ground powder of parboiled rice for which chowkua rice is most preferred. Hurum is an expanded rice product made from waxy rice. While Komal chawl is soaked in water for softening before consumption, Sandahguri and Hurum are straightway eaten. These rice products are traditionally mixed with milk/curd/cream and jaggery/sugar and eaten. The present study was carried out to analyze the nutritional quality of some breakfast cereals for its mineral content and total antioxidant capacity.