Accelerated solvent extraction of phenolic compounds from sorghum brans

Most phenolic compounds in cereals are bound to cell wall components and thus they are difficult to extract. Finding techniques to enhance polyphenol extraction is important due to their potential health benefits. The objective of this study was to evaluate extractability of sorghum phenolic compounds using solvents under high pressure and temperature conditions. Polyphenols from black and tannin sorghum bran were extracted using an accelerated solvent extractor (ASE) at 60, 120 and 150 degrees C, ASE at 120 and 150 degrees C using 50 and 70% ethanol/water (v/v) was efficient in extracting similar amount of phenols (45 mg GAE/g) and 12% more antioxidants (628 mu mol TE/g) from black sorghum compared to traditional methods using aqueous acetone and acidified methanol. High pressure and temperature did not improve the extraction of phenols and antioxidants in tannin sorghum as much as in black sorghum. This could be due to differences in grain structure and phenolic profile (different molecular weights) between the two samples. Another reason is that tannins may be interacting with proteins and carbohydrates under heat, thus they could be extracted but not measured. Therefore, there is a potential of using ASE extracts from black sorghum bran to produce beverages and colorants containing high antioxidant content. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.