Little millet (Panicum sumatrense) is our millet of the month in February. Although it is in the same genus as proso millet (P. miliaceum), it is not cultivated on any scale in North America, but can be obtained in imported products.. Like other millets, it is touted for its resilience as a crop and for its nutritional qualities. And like other millets, it has its own particular characteristics .(For example, it's very high in dietary fiber.) Here are citations and abstracts for 3 research articles relating to little millet's nutritional aspects, by researchers from India, where most of its global production is concentrated. The first requires subscription, but the other two are open access. The first is from the perspective of neglected little millet crop varieties, the second considers how processing affects little millet's nutritional properties, and the third focuses on the therapeutic potential of little millet nutrients in treating obesity. 1. Debabrata Panda, Pramila Muni, Aloukika Panda, Kartik C. Lenka & Prashant K. Parida. *"Nutritional and nutraceutical richness of neglected little millet genotypes from Eastern Ghats of India: implications for breeding and food value."* *Planta* 259, 37 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-023-04314-w ABSTRACT Little millet is an important small millet native to the Indian subcontinent and their nutritional value has been underutilized compared to other cereals. Its nutritional and nutraceutical profiling is essential to integrate the plants in developmental interventions. The present study evaluated comprehensive nutritional, nutraceutical and physico-functional properties of 14 selected little millet genotypes originated from Eastern Ghats of India and compared them with an improved variety (OLM 208) of the locality. The proximate compositions (per 100 g) showed significant variations, with moisture content ranging from 4.13 to 8.48 g, ash from 1.90 to 5.15 g, fat from 2.35 to 5.74 g, protein from 10.46 to 13.83 g, carbohydrate from 70.92 to 77.89 g, fiber from 2.03 to 7.82 g and energy from 372.8 to 391.1 kcal. These little millet flours are rich in phenol 5.37–12.73 mg/g, flavonoid 1.06–8.25 µg/g, vitamin C 12.72–22.86 µg/g, antioxidants 7.22–23.17%, iron 20.38 to 61.60 mg/ kg and zinc 17.47 to 37.59 mg/ kg. The first two components of principal component analysis capture 73.0% of the total variation, which reflected huge variability among the investigated genotypes. Maximum heritability and genetic advance were recorded in flavonoid, fiber, iron, zinc, phenol and vitamin C across the populations. Taken together, some indigenous little millet genotypes such as Mami, Kalia and Bada, were exceptionally rich in fiber, protein, energy, flavonoid, vitamin C and antioxidants and are nutritionally superior compared to other varieties from the locality. These nutrition rich little millet genotypes have ample opportunities for future breeding programs to enhance the cereal quality and hold great potential in food industry for making high value functional foods. 2. Annu Kumari, Pardeep Kumar Sadh, Ajay Kamboj, Babli Yadav, Anil Kumar, S. Sivakumar, Surekha, Baljeet Singh Saharan, Basanti Brar, Chhaya Goyal, Sanju Bala Dhull, and Joginder Singh Duhan,* "Exploring the Benefits of Nutrition of Little Millet: Unveiling the Effect of Processing Methods on Bioactive Properties,"* *Journal of Food Biochemistry*, 2025, 2488816, 25 pages, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1155/jfbc/2488816 ABSTRACT "Many terrible illnesses and disorders that modern man is dealing with today were not even known to ancient man. The only factor contributing to this disastrous situation is dietary habits. Thus, by avoiding and controlling them, replacing meals high in empty calories with nutrient-dense millets helps to alleviate the combined burden of contemporary metabolic illnesses and malnutrition. Because millet contains various nutrients, including proteins, minerals, lipids, vitamins, phytochemicals, dietary fiber, and complex carbohydrates, it positively impacts the immune system. Among whole millets, little millet (Panicum sumatrense) is one nutritious millet that contributes significantly to the supply of macro- and micronutrients and bioactive substances, including phenols, tannins, and phytates. However, some processing techniques, such as germination, fermentation, milling, and extrusion, impact little millet’s nutrients and bioactive chemicals by increasing or decreasing these phytochemicals. These nutrients and bioactive substances have physiological and beneficial properties related to health, such as weight management, antioxidants, antidiabetics, anticancer, antiobesity, and cardiovascular disease potential. It is also beneficial in preventing the risk of inflammatory, antirheumatic, and chronic disorders, as it possesses various value-added bioactive compounds such as kaempferol, luteolin, and apigenin. Little millet also contains some antinutrients such as tannins, oxalate, trypsin inhibitors, and phytate. These substances bind to the necessary nutrients, rendering them unavailable or limiting their utilization. The nutrients, processing effects, bioactive compounds, and health advantages of these compounds in little millet are all summarized in this paper." 3. Lakhani Komal G., Hamid Rasmeih, Gupta Sheetal, Prajapati Poojaben, Prabha Ratna, Patel Saumya, and Suthar Kirankumar P., *"Exploring the therapeutic mechanisms of millet in obesity through molecular docking, pharmacokinetics, and dynamic simulation,"* *Frontiers in Nutrition*, Vol. 11, 2024 URL= https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.14... DOI=10.3389/fnut.2024.1453819 ISSN=2296-861X ABSTRACT "Obesity, a prevalent global health concern, is characterized by excessive fat accumulation, which confers significant nutritional and health risks, including a shortened lifespan and diminished wellbeing. Central to the regulation of energy balance and food intake is the fat mass and obesity-associated (FTO) protein, which modulates the interplay between caloric consumption and energy expenditure. Given its pivotal role in obesity regulation, the identification of effective inhibitors targeting the FTO protein is imperative for developing therapeutic interventions. Currently available anti-obesity drugs are often plagued by undesirable side effects. In contrast, natural plant-derived bioactive compounds are gaining prominence in the pharmaceutical industry due to their efficacy and lower incidence of adverse effects. Little Millet, a traditional cereal known for its rich nutritional profile and high satiety index, was investigated in this study using molecular docking and dynamics simulation approach for its potential as an anti-obesity agent. Our research demonstrates that four bioactive compounds from Little Millet exhibit superior binding energies ranging from 7.22 to 8.83 kcal/mol, compared to the standard anti-obesity drug, orlistat, which has a binding energy of 5.96 kcal/mol. These compounds fulfilled all drug-like criteria, including the Lipinski, Ghose, Veber, Egan, and Muegge rules, and exhibited favorable profiles in terms of distribution, metabolism, and prolonged half-life without toxicity. Conversely, orlistat was associated with hepatotoxicity, a reduced half-life, and multiple violations of drug-likeness parameters, undermining its efficacy. Molecular dynamics simulations and Gibbs free energy assessments revealed that the four identified compounds maintain stable interactions with key residues in the FTO protein’s active site. We propose further validation through extensive In vitro, In vivo, and clinical studies to ascertain the therapeutic potential of these compounds in combating obesity." -- Don Osborn, PhD (East Lansing, MI, US North American Millets Alliance