Investigations on winter season Sudanese sorghum cultivars: effect of sprouting on the nutritional value

Physicochemical attributes of sorghum grains of Wad Ahmed (summer season cultivar), Abu Ragaba and Abu Kunjara (winter season cultivars) were compared. Floury endosperms characterise grains of all cultivars. Grains of Abu Ragaba and Wad Ahmed are white and Abu Kunjara are coloured. Grains were sprouted for 24, 48 and 72 h and changes in nutrients, tannin, phytic acid, protein digestibility and total and extractable minerals were studied. The nutrients and antinutients contents significantly (P < 0.05) varied between cultivars. High tannin characterises Abu Ragaba and Wad Ahmed. In vitro protein digestibility of the cultivars is comparable. Contents and HCl-extractability of Ca, P and Fe are varied. Abu Ragaba had the higher HCl-extractability of the minerals. Sprouting changed contents of the nutrients, reduced significantly (P < 0.05) tannins and phytic acid and increased digestible protein in all cultivars. Reduction of tannins was the highest in Abu Ragaba. The magnitude of reduction increased as sprouting prolonged.