Fermentation and enzyme treatments for sorghum

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Food Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor Moench) is a globally significant cereal crop.
• Certain sorghum varieties contain antinutritional factors, including tannins and phytate.
• These compounds reduce protein and mineral digestibility and overall nutritional value.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate methods for reducing tannins and phytate in sorghum grains.
• To evaluate the efficacy of tannase, phytase, and Paecilomyces variotii treatments.
• To assess combined enzymatic approaches for improved sorghum nutritional quality.

Main Methods:

• Three treatment groups were employed: (A) tannase, phytase, and P. variotii; (B) tannase and phytase followed by P. variotii; (C) P. variotii followed by tannase and phytase.
• Treatments were applied over 5 and 10-day periods.
• Quantification of total phenols, hydrolysable tannins, condensed tannins, and inorganic phosphorus.

Main Results:

• Average reductions of 40.6% in total phenols, 38.92% in hydrolysable tannins, and 58.00% in condensed tannins were observed.
• Phytase treatment increased available inorganic phosphorus by an average of 78.3%.
• Combinations of tannase and phytase yielded the most significant reductions in tannins and phytate.

Conclusions:

• The studied treatments effectively diminish tannin and phytate content in sorghum flour.
• Enzymatic strategies, particularly using tannase and phytase, can enhance sorghum's nutritional value.
• These findings support the use of these treatments for improving sorghum for animal feed and human consumption.