Effect of Environment and Genetics on Flavonoid Levels in Sorghum Grains

Sorghum flavonoids have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties and potential as natural colorants in foods. Sorghums with pigmented pericarp have high levels of flavonoids, especially 3-deoxyanthocyanins, flavanones and flavones. The effect of environment on flavonoid levels in sixteen sorghum genotypes grown in four locations in Texas (Corpus Christi, College Station, Halfway, and Weslaco) was evaluated. Sorghums from Halfway were grown at lower temperatures and the grains were more weathered than grains in the other three locations, which affected flavonoid levels, flavonoid profile, antioxidant activity, color and hardness of the grain. In general, 3-Deoxyanthocyanin levels were higher in black sorghums (151.6 - 1047.5 microgram/g) while flavanones and flavones were higher in two yellow sorghums (308.8 - 1823.1 microgram/g) and red sorghum 99LGWO50 (144.9 ? 394.0 mircrogram/g), respectively. Among locations, black sorghums at Halfway had lower levels of 3-deoxyanthocyanins (292.1 microgram/g), but red and yellow sorghums had higher levels (100.4 and 37.2 microgram/g, respectively). Flavanone levels in black and yellow sorghums at Halfway (77.9 and 525.7 microgram/g, respectively) were lower than those from the other three locations. Weathered black sorghum from Halfway had lower flavone levels than those grown in other locations (11.1 microgram/g) while in the red 99LGWO50, the levels were higher in Halfway (246.8 microgram/g). For all flavonoids, there was a genotype by environment interaction (p < 0.001), which suggested that environment had a different effect on flavonoid levels depending on the genotype. Environment, especially weathering, affected flavonoid levels and profile of sorghums which had an impact in color; hardness of the grain also was affected by environmental conditions. Evaluation of the effects of these changes in processing of sorghum foods is necessary

Phenolic Compounds of Sorghum, their Chemopreventive Properties and Absorption

Sorghum contains many phenolic compounds which have potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and chemopreventive properties as well as natural colorants in foods. Phenolic compounds of stalks, sheaths, leaves, glumes and grains from tan (ARTx631/RTx436), red (Tx2911) and purple (Tx3362) sorghum plants were characterized by UPLC-MS/MS. Antiproliferative properties of selected sorghum extracts were evaluated using HT-29 colon cancer cells and absorption of their polyphenolics was determined by a Caco-2 in vitro model system. Phenolic acids, flavones, 3-deoxyanthocyanidins and chalcones were found in all plant components. Phenolic acids were predominant in the stalks, sheaths and grains of all sorghum types. Flavone glycosides were predominant in leaves, sheaths and stalks while flavone aglycones in glumes and grains. 3-Deoxyanthocyanidins and chalcones were mostly found in sheaths, leaves, glumes and grains of Tx2911 (red) and Tx3362 (purple) genotypes. Sorghum leaves showed high levels of flavone glycosides while glumes had high levels of flavones aglycones. Glume extract of ATx631/RTx436 (tan) and Tx2911 genotypes had the strongest antiproliferation activity (IC_(50) = 85-178 µg/ml), these extracts had also the highest levels of flavone aglycones (19.6-49.8 mg/g). Absorption of flavones (30.4-42.3 %) was higher than 3-deoxyantocyanidins (1.4-11.3%), while absorption of methoxylated 3-deoxyanthocyanidins (11.3%) was higher than non-methoxylated 3-deoxyanthocyanidins (1.4 – 1.6 %). Flavones had high absorption compared to other sorghum phenolics suggesting that sorghum flavone aglycones are more bioavailable than other sorghum phenolic compounds. Consequently, sorghum glumes could be used as used as a source of phytochemicals to increase value of sorghum crop

Editorial: Wheat biofortification to alleviate global malnutrition

According to the latest FAO report on the state of food security and nutrition in the world (1), more than 720 million people faced hunger, and around 3 billion people did not have access to a healthy diet. All these problematics, exacerbated by the current COVID-19 crisis, led to an increase in the number of people affected by the so-called hidden hunger, caused by an inadequate intake of essential micronutrients (MNs) such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), selenium (Se) and provitamin A. Biofortification, intended as the improvement of the nutritional quality of food crops through either conventional breeding, agronomic practices ormodern biotechnologies, represents a sustainable, costeffective and long-term approach to alleviate micronutrient-deficiency. Staple crops are typically the major target of most biofortification studies, given their central role in human diet. Wheat, specifically, contributes to around 20% of the total energy and protein intake and to around 30% of the Fe and Zn intake worldwide. However, the current level of MNs present in most wheat-derived food products is not enough to meet the minimum daily intake, especially in the poorest regions of the world. For these reasons, continuing to work on wheat biofortification is fundamental to ensure the production of nutritious and sustainable food and to contribute to the reduction of MNs deficiency

Carotenoids retention in biofortified yellow cassava processed with traditional African methods

Biofortified yellow cassava is being cultivated in countries with high cassava consumption to improve its population's vitamin A status. The carotenoid retention in biofortified cassava when processed as boiled, fufu, and chikwangue was evaluated in this study. Commercial biofortified varieties Kindisa and Vuvu and the experimental genotypes MVZ2011B/360 and MVZ2012/044 were used. Fresh cassava roots were processed as boiled, fufu, and chikwangue. Provitamin A carotenoids (pVACs) content of fresh and processed cassava was measured by high‐performance liquid chromatography, and total carotenoids was measured by spectrophotometer.PRIFPRI3; ISI; CRP4; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for allHarvestPlus; A4NHCGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH); CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tuber, and Bananas (RTB

Retention of Zn, Fe and phytic acid in parboiled biofortified and non-biofortified rice

Biofortified rice with high Zn concentration could reduce Zn deficiency in South Asia. This population frequently parboils rice. True retention (TR) of Zn, Fe and phytic acid after parboiling and milling was evaluated in biofortified and non-biofortified rice. TR in milled non-parboiled rice was 63.8–89.6% for Zn, 21.1–44.5% for Fe and 16.4–40.3% for phytic acid, whereas in milled parboiled rice TR was 49.8–72.2% for Zn, 23.4–36.7% for Fe and 22.0–33.3% for phytic acid. Milled parboiled rice resulted in lower Zn TR compared to milled non-parboiled. These results suggest that Zn moves from the inner endosperm towards the outer layers during parboiling, regardless of initial Zn concentration, consequently, once milled, the potential impact of Zn intake on Zn deficiency from parboiled rice is less than non-parboiled rice. Despite Zn losses during processing, biofortified rice could provide over 50% of the Zn EAR for children.PRIFPRI3; HarvestPlus; CRP4; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for allHarvestPlus; A4NHCGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH

Carotenoid retention in biofortified maize using different post-harvest storage and packaging methods

PRIFPRI3; ISI; CRP4; B Promoting healthy food systems; C Improving markets and tradeHarvestPlus; A4NHCGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH); CGIAR Research Program on Maize (MAIZE

Effect of parboiling conditions on zinc and iron retention in biofortified and non-biofortified milled rice

PRIFPRI3; ISI; CRP4; HarvestPlus; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for allHarvestPlus; A4NHCGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH

Iron, zinc and phytic acid retention of biofortified, low phytic acid, and conventional bean varieties when preparing common household recipes

Biofortification is an effective method to improve the nutritional content of crops and nutritional intake. Breeding for higher micronutrient mineral content in beans is correlated with an increase in phytic acid, a main inhibitor of mineral absorption in humans. Low phytic acid (lpa) beans have a 90% lower phytic acid content compared to conventional beans. This is the first study to investigate mineral and total phytic acid retention after preparing common household recipes from conventional, biofortified and lpa beans. Mineral retention was determined for two conventional, three biofortified and two lpa bean genotypes. Treatments included soaking, boiling (boiled beans) and refrying (bean paste). The average true retention of iron after boiling was 77.2–91.3%; for zinc 41.2–84.0%; and for phytic acid 49.9–85.9%. Soaking led to a significant decrease in zinc and total phytic acid after boiling and refrying, whereas for iron no significant differences were found. lpa beans did not exhibit a consistent pattern of difference in iron and phytic acid retention compared to the other groups of beans. However, lpa beans had a significantly lower retention of zinc compared to conventional and biofortified varieties (p < 0.05). More research is needed to understand the underlying factors responsible for the differences in retention between the groups of beans, especially the low retention of zinc. Combining the lpa and biofortification traits could further improve the nutritional benefits of biofortified beans, by decreasing the phytic acid:iron and zinc ratio in beans.PRIFPRI3; HarvestPlus; CRP4; ISIA4NH; HarvestPlusCGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH

Micronutrient (provitamin A and iron/zinc) retention in biofortified crops

PRIFPRI3; CRP4HarvestPlus; A4NHCGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH

Rural Bangladeshi consumers’ willingness to pay for rice with improved nutrition via zinc biofortified rice and decreased milling practices

Zinc deficiency is a severe public health issue in Bangladesh. We examine the effects of nutritional information on rural consumers’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) for two ways to address zinc deficiency—biofortification of rice with increased zinc content (an invisible trait) and low-milling that gives rice grains a distinctive light brown color (a visible trait) and sets it apart from the culturally preferred highlymilled white rice grain. Results of our economic experiments suggest that with nutritional information, consumers are willing to pay a premium of 6% for zinc biofortified rice compared to non-biofortified rice. However, results confirm the strong preference for high milled rice of Bangladeshi consumers who discounted less-milled rice by 14%. This discount was reduced to 10% with information, suggesting a positive effect (4%) of information on WTP for less-milled rice. We also find that consumers’ WTP for these two high-zinc rice grains was positively correlated with being a female, more education, and belonging to households with a major income source from non-farm activities and with children under five years of age. Results point to the importance of nutritional awareness campaigns for increasing zinc biofortified and low-milled rice consumption and guiding the targeting strategy for such campaigns.Non-PRIFPRI5; CRP4; HarvestPlus; 2 Promoting Healthy Diets and Nutrition for all; DCA; Capacity StrengtheningHarvestPlus; A4NHCGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH