Chemical Composition of Selected Food-Grade Sorghum Varieties Grown Under Typical Mediterranean Conditions

Sorghum is a staple food grain in many semi-arid and tropical areas of the world, notably in Sub-Saharan Africa due to its good agronomic properties in harsh environments. At present, sorghum is widely found in the dry areas of Asia (India and China), the Americas and Australia. Due to its properties as a wheat-free food, interest is increasing in cultivating sorghum in Mediterranean countries. However, little is known about how the environment of Mediterranean countries would influence the chemical composition of sorghum. Thus, research has been conducted to compare the composition of selected food-grade white sorghum hybrids grown in Foggia (southern Italy) to hybrids grown in one of the primary sorghum growing regions of the US; Kansas. The sorghum grown in Italy were found to have a higher protein content than the sample grown in Kansas, though overall grain quality was comparable between the two regions. Immunosorbent assays (RASA) showed for all sorghum flour samples analyzed, the absence of proteins that are toxic for celiac patients.