Location: Grain Quality and Structure Research
Project Number: 3020-43440-002-017-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2020
End Date: Aug 31, 2024
Objective:
The overall objective of this cooperative project is to evaluate the chemical composition of select sorghum varieties in regards to bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. Research will utilize High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Mass Spectroscopy (MS), and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR). Using that information, it is the goal to develop a high yielding line that also expresses high amounts of bioactive compounds and further purify select compounds for research and developement.
Approach:
Sorghum lines known to have high polyphenols including PI570481, SC84 and SC991 will be evaluated using analytical techniques. Firstly HPLC methods will be developed in order to quantify specific compounds and to quantify total phenolic compounds. Fractions from HPLC isolated extracts will be used to evaluate bio-activity in cell based models. Fractions which show to have potential health benefits will then be further analyzed using MS and NMR. Methods will then be developed to isolate pure compounds or purchase them from a company for further validation in cell based models. Once compounds of interests are identified, this information will be relayed to sorghum breeders and geneticists to further improve sorghum end-use quality.
