Nutritional composition of selected white food-grade waxy Sorghum variety grown in Mediterranean area

Authors: PONTIERI, PAOLA - Istituto Di Bioscienze E Biorisorse-Uos Portici-cnr; TROISI, JACOPO - University Of Salerno; ROMANO, ROBERTA - University Of Bologna, Italy; PIZZOLANTE, GRAZIANO - Universit Di Milano; Bean, Scott; Tilley, Michael - Mike; MOTTO, MARIO - Life Foundation, Higher Technical Institute For New Life Technologies; ALETTA, MARIAROSARIA - Institute Of Genetics And Biophysics "adriano Buzzati-Traverso"; DEL GIUDICE, FABIO - Bioteam Laboratory; SICARDI, MARIO - Monte Sant'Angelo University Complex; ALIFANOI, PIETRO - Dipartimento Di Scienze E Tecnologie Biologiche E Ambientali; DEL GIUDICE, LUIGI - Istituto Di Bioscienze E Biorisorse-Uos Portici-cnr

Submitted to: Australian Journal of Crop Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/10/2020
Publication Date: 9/1/2020
Citation: Pontieri, P., Troisi, J., Romano, R., Pizzolante, G., Bean, S.R., Tilley, M., Motto, M., Aletta, M., Del Giudice, F., Sicardi, M., Alifanoi, P., Del Giudice, L. 2020. Nutritional composition of selected white food-grade waxy Sorghum variety grown in Mediterranean area. Australian Journal of Crop Science. https://doi.org/10.21475/ajcs.20.14.09.p2783 .
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21475/ajcs.20.14.09.p2783

Interpretive Summary: Sorghum use in human food products has increased and expanded from early efforts in the U.S. developing hybrids that yield white grain from a tan-color plant for production of gluten-free foods for people with celiac disease. Sorghum is also known to contain compounds with important human health attributes. Therefore, sorghum provides benefits as a gluten-free food and as a food for all people. There is a need for further characterization of the sorghum collections with respect to food functionality and other quality attributes such nutrient composition and nutritional quality. In this context, waxy sorghum grains were shown to possess a higher nutritive value than non-waxy grains, which has been attributed to starch structure. With the aim of selecting improved waxy sorghum varieties, determining the nutritional composition of inbred waxy varieties for use in breeding programs is one strategy of improving the beneficial nutritional aspects of waxy sorghum lines, while minimizing the agronomic problems of reduced yield and stand establishment. Thus, the purpose of this research was to evaluate the nutritional properties of a waxy inbred sorghum line grown in Mediterranean environments of southern Italy. Across all locations in the study, high percentages of K among the nutritionally essential macro-elements, and higher percentages of Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, Al among the nutritionally essential micro-element were observed, while a strong difference in Cd content was observed among trace elements. Across both environments linoleic, oleic and palmitic were the most abundant fatty acids. This information will aid in the development of sorghum lines with good nutritional quality.

Technical Abstract: A white food-grade waxy sorghum variety was evaluated for nutrient composition, fatty acid- and mineral concentrations in two Mediterranean environments in southern Italy. The nutritional values of the grains of the inbred line grown in the two trial fields were substantially the same, except for slight differences in ash level and accordingly slight variation in mineral composition. In particular, in both samples, higher percentage of K among the nutritionally essential macro-elements, and higher percentages of Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, Al among the nutritionally essential micro-element were observed, while a strong difference in Cd content was observed among trace elements. Across both environments linoleic, oleic and palmitic were the most abundant fatty acids, while very slight variations in the content of minerals were found among the two samples examined. These results demonstrate the importance of developing agronomically productive waxy sorghum varieties suitable for growth both as a food and feed crop and for utilization in new products at the industrial level.