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ARS Home » Plains Area » Manhattan, Kansas » Center for Grain and Animal Health Research » Grain Quality and Structure Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #312120
Title: A rapid method to determine starch damage in sorghum

Author
item Wilson, Jeff
item Kaufman, Rhett
item Seabourn, Bradford
item Galant, Ashley
item Herald, Thomas

Submitted to: International Journal of Food Properties
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/13/2015
Publication Date: 4/18/2015
Publication URL: http://10.1080/10942912.2015.1020391
Citation: Wilson, J.D., Kaufman, R.C., Seabourn, B.W., Galant, A.L., Herald, T.J. 2015. A rapid method to determine starch damage in sorghum. International Journal of Food Properties. 10.1080/10942912.2015.1020391.

Interpretive Summary: Sorghum is gaining in popularity in the United States for food uses especially as an alternative for individuals sensitive to gluten. Sorghum is lower in glycemic index compared to other cereal products, thus contributes toward the fight against obesity and diabetes. The milling process transforms grain into flour and may result in the inadvertent disruption of starch granules that are responsible for water absorption and end product quality. Thus monitoring the amount of starch damage is paramount to food processors. This study developed a method for quantifying sorghum starch damage by adapting an iodine absorption method. The method is rapid and can be adapted to other cereal grains.

Technical Abstract: As a major component of cereal grains including sorghum, starch plays an important role not only in grain development but also post-maturation processing and end-product quality. Because milling can result in the inadvertent disruption of starch granules, in turn negatively affecting dough rheology, it is important that starch damage be monitored as part of flour formulation. Because existing methods for quantifying starch damage are time-consuming, an alternative non-enzymatic methodology was sought. This study describes the adaptation of the SDmatic – an instrument developed for determining starch damage in wheat flour – for assessment of sorghum flour via generation of a standard calibration.