Chemical composition and fatty acid content of white food sorghums grown in different environments

The chemical composition and fatty acid content of both white sorghum hybrids and pure lines where grown in various areas of the world were studied. Various attributes were investigated including moisture, protein, carbohydrate, dietary fiber, fat contents, and fatty acid composition. Slight variations in both protein and in fiber contents were observed among cultivars. Linoleic, oleic and palmitic were the most abundant fatty acids in all samples with little difference in their percentage content among the cultivars. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) demonstrated, for all sorghum flours analyzed, the absence of toxic protein sequences for celiac patients. The present results demonstrate that food-grade sorghum varieties are potentially able to be grown in Mediterranean countries in addition to regions where sorghum has been traditionally produced, i.e. either in arid tropical and sub-tropical regions of Africa and Asia or in dry regions of America.