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Free and bound phenolic acids were isolated from native and malted finger millet (ragi, Eleusine coracanaIndaf-15), and their antioxidant properties were evaluated. Protocatechuic, gallic, and caffeic acids were found to be the major free phenolic acids. A 3-fold decrease was observed in protocatechuic
acid content, whereas the decrease was marginal in the case of caffeic acid upon 96 h of malting. However, the contents of other free phenolic acids such as gallic, vanillic, coumaric, and ferulic acids increased. Ferulic, caffeic, and coumaric acids were found to be the major bound phenolic acids,and a 2-fold decrease was observed in their contents upon 96 h of malting. The antioxidant activity
of a free phenolic acid mixture was found to be higher compared to that of a bound phenolic acid mixture. An increase in antioxidant activity coefficient was observed in the case of free phenolic acids from 770.0 ( 7.8 to 1686.0 ( 16.0, whereas the same was decreased from 570.0 ( 6.0 to 448.0 (4.5 in bound phenolic acids upon 96 h of malting. Therefore, the antioxidant capacity of phenolic
acids changes during the malting of ragi.