Niacin status of humans as affected by eating decorticated and whole-ground sorghum (Sorghum gramineae) grain, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals

Abstract

Niacin utilization to humans from whole grain ground sorghum flour and decorticated grain ground sorghum flour was studied. During two, randomly-arranged experimental periods of 14 days each, the 10 healthy adult subjects ate constant, laboratory controlled diets which included 28 g per day of either a ready-to-eat cereal prepared from whole-ground-sorghum flour or one prepared from decorticated (polished) sorghum flour. All subjects received both experimental treatments, made complete collections of urine and stools, and gave fasting blood samples at the ends of both experimental periods. Although the whole ground cereal contained higher amounts of niacin than did the decorticated cereal, urinary losses of N-methylnicotinamine were higher when the decorticated cereal was fed than when the whole ground cereal was used. Blood serum levels of nicotinamide and N-nicotinamide were higher when the whole ground cereal was fed than the feeding of the decorticated cereal was given. Therefore, it appears that the niacin of whole ground sorghum is absorbed but then the need for niacin is either increased or its urinary excretion is inhibited.