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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 #342222
Research Project: Impact of the Environment on Sorghum Grain Composition and Quality Traits

Location: Grain Quality and Structure Research

Title: The pigments of sorghum pericarp are associated with the contents of cartenoids and pro-vitamin A

Author
item SHEN, YANTING - Kansas State University
item SU, XIAOYU - Kansas State University
item Rhodes, Davina
item Herald, Thomas
item XU, JINGWEN - Kansas State University
item CHEN, XI - Kansas State University
item SMITH, SCOTT - Kansas State University
item WANG, WEIQUN - Kansas State University

Submitted to: International Journal of Food And Nutritional Sciences
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/13/2017
Publication Date: 7/1/2017
Citation: Shen, Y., Su, X., Rhodes, D.H., Herald, T.J., Xu, J., Chen, X., Smith, S., Wang, W. 2017. The pigments of sorghum pericarp are associated with the contents of cartenoids and pro-vitamin A. International Journal of Food And Nutritional Sciences. 6(3)48-56.

Interpretive Summary: Sorghum is a drought resistant and heat tolerant which has made it an attractive staple crop that is consumed in certain regions of Africa and Asia. Populations in these regions have been identified as areas of vitamin A deficiency. The objective of this study was to identify and quantify sorghum that offers higher levels of vitamin A. The results of the study suggest that the sorghum bran color was associated with the amount of vitamin A. Sorghum with a yellow bran had a higher level of vitamin A. Consuming sorghum that possess yellow pigments in the bran may serve as a prevention of vitamin A deficiency.

Technical Abstract: Sorghum is a staple crop consumed in certain regions of Africa and Asia, where vitamin A deficiency is prevalent. However, the correlation of sorghum intake and vitamin A deficiency is contradictory. The objective of this study was to identify and quantify the carotenoids and pro-vitamin A in the selected sorghum accessions with various pericarp pigments by using LC-MS. Among total five carotenoids (a-carotene, ß-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and ß-cryptoxanthin) identified and quantitated, three (a-carotene, ß-carotene and ß-cryptoxanthin) were precursors of vitamin A. The highest content of total carotenoids was found in the sorghum accessions with yellow pericarp (PI656096, PI585374, PI563448 and PI585351), while the highest ß-carotene content was found in the accessions with brown or yellow pericarp (PI655996, PI656096, PI585374, PI563448 and PI585351). The lowest carotenoids were found in the accessions with white pericarp (PI533943, PI656112, PI565121 and PI560493). The pro-vitamin A was 584.9±38.9 ng/g DW in the accessions with yellow pericarp, 250.6±28.9 ng/g DW in brown pericarp, and 89.0±12.3 ng/g DW in white pericarp, respectively. It appeared the phenotypic diversity of sorghum pericarp colors was associated with the contents of carotenoids and pro-vitamin A, indicating a different impact of various sorghum varieties on vitamin A deficiency and suggesting a possible prevention of vitamin A deficiency by consuming selected sorghum varieties with yellow pericarp pigments.