Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Nov;18(6):2025-2046.
doi: 10.1111/1541-4337.12506. Epub 2019 Oct 18.

Sorghum Grain: From Genotype, Nutrition, and Phenolic Profile to Its Health Benefits and Food Applications

Yun Xiong  1 , Pangzhen Zhang  1 , Robyn Dorothy Warner  1 , Zhongxiang Fang  1
Affiliations

Sorghum Grain: From Genotype, Nutrition, and Phenolic Profile to Its Health Benefits and Food Applications

Yun Xiong et al. Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2019 Nov.

Abstract

Globally, sorghum is one of the most important but least utilized staple crops. Sorghum grain is a rich source of nutrients and health-beneficial phenolic compounds. The phenolic profile of sorghum is exceptionally unique and more abundant and diverse than other common cereal grains. The phenolic compounds in sorghum are mainly composed of phenolic acids, 3-deoxyanthocyanidins, and condensed tannins. Studies have shown that sorghum phenolic compounds have potent antioxidant activity in vitro, and consumption of sorghum whole grain may improve gut health and reduce the risks of chronic diseases. Recently, sorghum grain has been used to develop functional foods and beverages, and as an ingredient incorporated into other foods. Moreover, the phenolic compounds, 3-deoxyanthocyanidins, and condensed tannins can be isolated and used as promising natural multifunctional additives in broad food applications. The objective of this review is to provide a comprehensive understanding of nutrition and phenolic compounds derived from sorghum and their related health effects, and demonstrate the potential for incorporation of sorghum in food systems as a functional component and food additive to improve food quality, safety, and health functions.

Keywords: functional foods; human health; nutritional composition; phenolic profile; sorghum grain.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Adeyeye, A., & Ajewole, K. (1992). Chemical composition and fatty acid profiles of cereals in Nigeria. Food Chemistry, 44(1), 41-44.
    1. Adom, K. K., & Liu, R. H. (2002). Antioxidant activity of grains. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 50(21), 6182-6187.
    1. Agah, S., Kim, H., Mertens-Talcott, S. U., & Awika, J. M. (2017). Complementary cereals and legumes for health: Synergistic interaction of sorghum flavones and cowpea flavonols against LPS-induced inflammation in colonic myofibroblasts. Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, 61(7). https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201600625.
    1. Aida, Y., Tamogami, S., Kodama, O., & Tsukiboshi, T. (1996). Synthesis of 7-methoxyapigeninidin and its fungicidal activity against gloeocercospora sorghi. Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry, 60(9), 1495-1496. https://doi.org/10.1271/bbb.60.1495
    1. Akogou, F. U. G., Besten, H., Kayode, A. P. P., Fogliano, V., & Linnemann, A. R. (2018). Antimicrobial evaluation of red, phytoalexin-rich sorghum food biocolorant. PloS One, 13(3), e0194657. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0194657

LinkOut - more resources