Mineral in sorghum for human consumption

Abstract

The use of grain sorghum in the diet has been shown to be advantageous when compared with corn and wheat. Besides being a culture easily conform to hot, semi-arid and tropical environments, sorghum has lower production costs, availability in the market and higher nutritional value similar to these cultures, being therefore considered economically viable for food use. Sorghum grains are considered good source of minerals such as iron, calcium and phosphorus among others, however, bio accessibility studies thereof have not been found. Furthermore, the presence ant nutritional factors affecting the absorption of minerals by the human body, causing with the grain is most often used in animal feed. Phytate is the major cause of reduced bio accessibility of minerals. Through the formation of insoluble complexes, minerals are hardly utilized by the body. In order to reduce the effects of phytate on mineral studies on processes such as germination, heat treatment and hydrolytic enzymes (phytase) applied alone and in combination in grains have arisen. In literature, few studies are directed to study the application of phytase in sorghum and its effects on the availability of minerals for use in human food. Thus, the aim of this work is to study the bio accessibility of minerals in sorghum flour and heat treated with phytase enzyme to enable the use grain for human nutrition. (AU)