Food Research Institute

Jaćimović, S. – Kiprovski, B. – Sikora, V. – Pezo, L. – Pantelić, N.
Diversity in nutritional and functional quality sorghum restorer lines collection


Nebojša Đ. Pantelić, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia. E-mail: pantelic@agrif.bg.ac.rs

Original article
Received 9 August 2023; 1st revised 25 March 2024; accepted 8 April 2024.

Summary: This study aimed to examine and compare the main nutritional quality parameters and bioactive compounds of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) grain in order to select genotypes suitable for human consumption and predict genotypes with higher antioxidant capacity. Sorghum grains from the restorer lines collection (172 genotypes), were analysed for their nutritional quality (ash, protein, fat, and starch), phenolic compounds content (total phenolics, tannins, flavonoids, and anthocyanins), as well as antioxidant capacity, and colour parameters. The content of the studied parameters ranged from: 1.6–6.6 %, 8.7–19.8 %, 1.2–3.7 %, 57.1–93.3 % for total oil, protein, ash, and starch, respectively. Total phenolic content ranged from 0.6–11.3 g·kg^-1 (expressed as GAE) in methanol extracts, and 1.1–17.1 g·kg^-1 (expressed as GAE) in acetone extracts, while the strongest antioxidant potential was 90.4 %. There was no correlation between the investigated grains colour and tannin content. The expected and experimentally obtained antioxidant capacity showed the effectiveness of the artificial neural network as a predictive tool. This screening of valuable biochemical compounds shows that sorghum, as a tropical crop, has promising potential for cultivation in the European climate as a basis for the development of functional food products.

Keywords: coloured grain; nutritive compounds; phenolics; Sorghum bicolor