Sorghum phytochemicals and their potential impact on human health

Published Date

May 2004, Vol.65(9):1199–1221, doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2004.04.001

Review

Title 

Sorghum phytochemicals and their potential impact on human health

• Author 

• Joseph M. Awika ^,
• Lloyd W. Rooney

• Cereal Quality Laboratory, Soil & Crop Sciences Department, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843-2474, USA

Received 9 September 2003. Revised 26 February 2004. Available online 6 May 2004.

Abstract

Sorghum is a rich source of various phytochemicals including tannins, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, phytosterols and policosanols. These phytochemicals have potential to significantly impact human health. Sorghum fractions possess high antioxidant activity in vitro relative to other cereals or fruits. These fractions may offer similar health benefits commonly associated with fruits. Available epidemiological evidence suggests that sorghum consumption reduces the risk of certain types of cancer in humans compared to other cereals. The high concentration of phytochemicals in sorghum may be partly responsible. Sorghums containing tannins are widely reported to reduce caloric availability and hence weight gain in animals. This property is potentially useful in helping reduce obesity in humans. Sorghum phytochemicals also promote cardiovascular health in animals. Such properties have not been reported in humans and require investigation, since cardiovascular disease is currently the leading killer in the developed world. This paper reviews available information on sorghum phytochemicals, how the information relates to current phytonutrient research and how it has potential to combat common nutrition-related diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease and obesity.

Properties and potential of sorghum phytochemicals to promote human health are reviewed.

Keywords

• Sorghum bicolor
• Gramineae
• Phytochemicals
• Tannins
• Anthocyanins
• Phenolic acids
• Phytosterols
• Policosanols
• Human health
• Cancer
• Cardiovascular disease
• Obesity

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Vitae

Joseph Awika received his Ph.D. in food technology (cereal chemistry) from Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, in 2003, and a bachelor's degree from Egerton University (Kenya) in 1996. As a graduate student he was the recipient of various fellowships and awards, including several American Association of Cereal Chemists Graduate fellowships, Tom Slick Senior Graduate Research Fellowship, Texas A&M Intercollegiate Faculty of Food Science Outstanding Student award, Academic Excellence Scholarship and others. His research activities/interests include extraction, characterization and new food and health applications of phytochemicals; effects of processing on antioxidant properties, bioavailability, bioeffects, and other properties of phytochemicals; effects of genetics and environment on phytochemical levels and composition of food plants. He currently does post-doctoral research with the co-author.

Lloyd W. Rooney is Professor and Faculty Fellow, Cereal Quality Laboratory, Soil & Crop Sciences department, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. He obtained his Ph.D. in cereal biochemistry from Kansas State University, KS, in 1966. He has over 40 years experience in post-harvest technology of grains and the improvement of nutritional and processing quality nationally and internationally. He has consulted in more than 40 countries on Grain Science and Technology. He is a member of the Mexican National Academy of Science with numerous awards from the American Association of Cereal Chemists and other societies. He has more than 200 refereed journal articles, 40 plus book chapters, 500 plus total publications and is editor of the book Snack Foods Processing. He has worked on sorghum quality, composition and processing properties for 39 years.

• ∗ 
  Corresponding author. Tel.: +1-979-845-2925; fax: +1-979-845-0456

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