Stability of B vitamins, vitamin E, xanthophylls and flavonoids during germination and maceration of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.)

Abstract

The impact of maceration and germination on the concentration of bioactive compounds still needs to be evaluated. The stability of B complex vitamins (thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine), vitamin E (α, β, γ, δ tocopherols and tocotrienols), xanthophylls (lutein and zeaxanthin) and flavonoids (3-deoxyanthocyanidins-3-DXAs, flavones and flavanones) was evaluated in sorghum grains subjected to maceration and germination, using High Performance Liquid Chromatography. Maceration and germination reduced thiamine and pyridoxine concentrations (retentions ranging from 3.8 to 50.2%). Riboflavin and Vitamin E concentrations were not affected by maceration. Germination increased riboflavin and reduced vitamin E. 3-DXAs were sensitive to maceration and germination (retentions of 69.6% and 69.9%, respectively). Flavones contents decreased with germination. Our results indicate that, after germination and/or maceration, sorghum had important nutritional and functional value. Thus, its intake, mainly in macerated forms, should be encouraged, since concentrations of riboflavin, vitamin E and flavones were not altered during this processing.

Keywords: 3-DXAs; Flavanones; Flavones; Pyridoxine; Riboflavin; Thiamine; Tocopherols.