Composition and Nutritional Analysis of Nine Sorghum Cultivars from the Southern High Plains (Sorghum bicolor L.) for Human Consumption

This thesis investigates composition and analysis of sorghum for the human diet, as well as the functionality and benefits of introducing sorghum to the mainstream human diet. The objective of this research was to assess the nutritional composition of sorghum utilized as a replacement for or even consumed alongside other grains in the human diet. A composition analysis was performed to measure the total polyphenolic content (TPC), fiber content, protein and amino acid content, digestible carbohydrates, fats, and gross energy of nine sorghum cultivars grown in the Southern high plains. The polyphenolic content makes sorghum a unique crop, which has a direct negative correlation to the color of the grain itself (r = - 0.6984, p = .000051). This was measured through colorimetric ELISA procedures to find the total phenolic content (TPC) and the use of a colorimeter to determine L*, a* and b* values of 9 sorghum spp. cultivars. Tukey’s test was the statistical analysis used to detect any differences among samples (p < 0.05) via IBM SPSS. A full nutritional summary was created for each sample with analyses including dry matters, protein, lipids, fiber and carbohydrates. Each assay was calculated on a 100 g sample basis and then calculated at the USDA recommended serving size basis of 192 g. DRV’s were calculated in accordance with the RACC value of sorghum (45 g). These findings contribute to the further investigation of sorghum becoming implemented into the human diet as another grain option and proving it as a functional ingredient to substitute for other commonly used grains such as wheat, which contains gluten. This study is important for the celiac community, as the utilization of sorghum in commonly consumed wheat-containing products could provide more options for those with dietary restrictions on products containing gluten. This thesis concludes with recommendations to further research into kafirin proteins present in sorghum and assess the functionality of kafirins in comparison to gluten, and how to create the same stabilization with kafirin as gluten offers.