Nutritional Composition of Yellow Pericarp Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moenech): A Review

Abstract

Sorghum is a gluten-free cereal and forms the staple diet of a majority of the populations living in the semi-arid tropics. It was believed that food security attained through green revolution would solve India's nutritional issues. However, we have now realized that in these attempts, rice and wheat received a lot of policy attention, while other crops such as sorghum were neglected. This trend is frequently cited as one of the causes behind nutritional conundrum in India in which undernutrition and hidden hunger coexist. Sorghum grain contains pigmented pericarp (i.e., red, yellow, brown) and non-pigmented pericarp (i.e., white). Sorghum grains with yellow pericarp have gained greater demand in market during recent times owing to its nutritional importance, good roti making quality and keeping quality. The purpose of this review paper is to provide a comprehensive understanding of yellow pericarp sorghum in terms of its nutritional composition, and to compare the nutritional characteristics with white sorghum. From a nutritional perspective, a major advantage of sorghum as a healthy and nutritious crop is its higher proportion of slowly digestible and resistant starch components compared with other staple cereal crops. The nutritional composition of Sorghum bicolor grain includes energy (193 cal), moisture content (52%), protein (7.1 g), fat (0.6 g), carbohydrates (39.8 g), fiber (0.9 g), calcium (10 mg), iron (3.5 mg), and niacin (1.7 mg). Sorghum is a good source of minerals and vitamins and mostly located in aleurone layer and germ. It is an important source of B vitamins except for vitamin B12 and vitamin A. Research studies have proven that Yellow pericarp sorghum has relatively higher protein content (12-13%) than white sorghum (10-11%) and is rich in beta carotene, leutin and zeaxanthin. It is characterized by high carbohydrate, calcium, and zinc contents. Yellow pericarp sorghum is also rich in flavanones and has slightly higher total phenolic contents than white sorghum which act as antioxidants and play a crucial role in enhancing the immune system. Thus yellow pericarp sorghum can serve as a significant nutrient-rich cereal and could play a role in dietary diversification and a balanced diet as a means of addressing nutritional security in India.