Abstract
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) grain contains many health-promoting phytochemicals, including a broad range of phenolic compounds. Malting of cereal grains is known to increase the bioavailability of macro- and micronutrients. However, the detailed effects of malting on sorghum grain anthocyanins, a major class of phenolics that influence the taste and colour of sorghum-based foods, requires further investigation. Eight commercial sorghum hybrids harvested from three regions in eastern Australia were malted and analysed for colour, tannin content, total phenolic content (TPC), flavan-4-ols, total flavonoids, total anthocyanins and 3-deoxyanthocyanins. Grains of all the sorghums were found to be tannin-free. Malting decreased the TPC of all samples. For TPC, the grand means among all the sorghum cultivars for raw and malted grain were 2.77 and 2.48 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g, respectively. For flavan-4-ols, the grand means for raw and malted sorghum grains were 2.98 and 2.23 abs/mL/g, respectively. Remarkably, total anthocyanin levels more than doubled upon malting whereas total flavonoid levels decreased by 12%. The average abundance of 3-deoxyanthocyanins in raw sorghum grains increased for about 8-fold upon malting. Our results will be valuable for sorghum breeders in the selection of lines for specific end uses and for food scientists developing sorghum-based products.
Highlights
Sorghum is ranked globally as the fifth most important cereal crop after wheat, rice, maize and barley, with a world production in 2016 of 812 thousand tonnes of grain [1]
Raw and malted grains of a wide variety of Australian sorghum grain cultivars were analyzed for total phenolics, condensed tannins, flavan-4-ols, and total anthocyanins
The 3-deoxyanthocyanin profile was evaluated for all the sorghum cultivars
Summary
Sorghum is ranked globally as the fifth most important cereal crop after wheat, rice, maize and barley, with a world production in 2016 of 812 thousand tonnes of grain [1]. Sorghum grain is a staple food for about 7% of the world population in 30 countries in Africa and Asia as well as a fodder and feed crop for livestock in 105 countries [2]. Grain sorghum production is the third leading cereal crop in Australia behind wheat and barley [3], and is equivalent to 3.25% of world production [1]. In Africa and Asia, whole sorghum grain, decorticated grain or sorghum flour are commonly used to make foods such as thin or thick fermented or unfermented porridge, boiled products similar to those made with maize or rice grits, popped sorghum, flat bread and various types of deep-fried food
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