Nutritional composition, fatty acid content, and mineral content of nine sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) inbred varieties

Authors: PONTIERI, PAOLA - Istituto Di Bioscienze E Biorisorse-Uos Portici-cnr; TROISI, JACOPO - Theoreo Srl; CALCAGNILE, MATTEO - Dipartimento Di Scienze E Tecnologie Biologiche E Ambientali; Aramouni, Fadi; Tilley, Michael; Smolensky, Dmitriy; GUIDA, MARCO - The University Of Naples Federico Ii; DEL GIUDICE, FABIO - Istituto Di Bioscienze E Biorisorse-Uos Portici-cnr; MERCIAI, ANTONIO - Istituto Di Bioscienze E Biorisorse-Uos Portici-cnr; SAMOYLENKO, IRYNA - Istituto Di Bioscienze E Biorisorse-Uos Portici-cnr; CHESSA, ALBERTO - Non ARS Employee; ALETTA, MARIAROSARIA - Non ARS Employee; ALIFANO, PIETRO - Dipartimento Di Scienze E Tecnologie Biologiche E Ambientali; DEL GIUDICE, LUIGI - Istituto Di Bioscienze E Biorisorse-Uos Portici-cnr

Submitted to: Foods
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/10/2024
Publication Date: 11/14/2024
Citation: Pontieri, P., Troisi, J., Calcagnile, M., Aramouni, F.M., Tilley, M., Smolensky, D., Guida, M., Del Giudice, F., Merciai, A., Samoylenko, I., Chessa, A.L., Aletta, M., Alifano, P., Del Giudice, L. 2024. Nutritional composition, fatty acid content, and mineral content of nine sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) inbred varieties. Foods. 13:3634. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13223634.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13223634

Interpretive Summary: Sorghum is a self-pollinating species belonging to the Poaceae family characterized by a resistance to drought higher than that of corn. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) has been grown for centuries as a food crop in tropical areas where it has an increasing importance, particularly as a cereal option for people with celiac disease. Over the past fifty years, food-grade varieties and hybrid seeds with white pericarp have been developed, particularly in the United States, to maximize sorghum food quality. Nutrient composition, including moisture, protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, fat content, fatty acid composition, and mineral content, was determined for nine inbred varieties with a stabilized food-grade sorghum genotype selected in the USA and grown under typical Mediterranean conditions. Differences in these nutritional components were observed among the varieties considered. Notable differences were found for monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, while saturated fatty acids were similar in all varieties. Oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acids were the most abundant fatty acids in all nine lines. Differences were also noted in mineral content, particularly for K, Mg, Al, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Ba. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) demonstrated the absence of gliadin-like peptides in all the sorghum varieties analyzed, confirming, thus, that these analyzed varieties are safe for consumption by celiac patients. Knowledge of the nutritional values of sorghum lines is relevant for breeding programs devoted to sorghum nutritional content and for beneficial properties to human health.

Technical Abstract: Sorghum is a self-pollinating species belonging to the Poaceae family characterized by a resistance to drought higher than that of corn. Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) has been grown for centuries as a food crop in tropical areas where it has an increasing importance, particularly as a cereal option for people with celiac disease. Over the past fifty years, food-grade varieties and hybrids with white pericarp seeds have been developed, particularly in the United States, to maximize food quality. Nutrient composition, fatty acid content and mineral content of nine pure-line varieties grown in the Mediterranean area were analyzed. Various seed traits were considered including moisture, protein, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, fat content, fatty acid composition and mineral content. Differences in these nutritional components were observed among the varieties considered. Notable differences were found for mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats, while saturated fatty acids were similar in all varieties. Oleic, linoleic and palmitic acids were the most abundant fatty acids in all nine samples. Differences were also noted in mineral content, particularly for K, Mg, Al, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn and Ba. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) demonstrated the absence of gliadin-like peptides toxic for people intolerant to gluten in all the sorghum varieties analyzed. Knowledge of the nutritional values of sorghum lines is relevant for breeding programs devoted to sorghum nutritional content and for beneficial properties to human health.