A Decade of Evidence of Sorghum Potential in the Development of Novel Food Products: Insights from a Bibliometric Analysis

Abstract

Due to the increasing interest in sorghum for human nutrition, recent literature reviews highlight its nutrient and bioactive contents, potential health benefits and its ‘gluten-free’ feature. Moreover, a current view of research advances on sorghum-based food products is needed to help both food scientists and industry identify current trends and forward-looking approaches. Studies on homemade processing are still scarce. Thus, this review aimed to provide the latest information regarding the use of sorghum to develop ready-to-eat products or food ingredients based on studies published in the last decade (2012–2022), which then guided discussions on recent advances and prospects. The articles were identified by searching the Elsevier Scopus database. Sorghum has great potential as a functional and sustainable food that can be used in daily meals as a substitute for common cereals like wheat, rice and corn. The studies in the review show that it is possible to process sorghum in a wide variety of ways to obtain ready-to-eat products and ingredients for food products and preparations, such as popping, lamination, extrusion and wet cooking. The studies also show promising approaches to use sorghum in acceptable and nutrient-dense bakery and pasta products, highlighting their gluten-free versions. However, more efforts to make these novel food products available to consumers should be made.

Revealing Consequences of the Husking Process on Nutritional Profiles of Two Sorghum Races on the Male Sterility Line

“…Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is a productive crop worldwide, especially in dry locations, and it plays a significant role in supplying essential sustenance to millions of people, particularly in developing nations [1]. Although sorghum processing is important, it requires additional research for industrialized countries compared to renowned crops such as maize, wheat, and rice [2]. S. bicolor is recognized as a staple drought-tolerant crop worldwide.…”

“…For example, Kafirins, known as the main storage proteins in sorghum, significantly influence its qualitative properties, such as their appropriateness for food, feedstock, and biomaterial uses, which makes them an essential factor in sorghum quality and improvement measurements [12]. The husking process for sorghum grain involves removing the outer layer to reach the edible kernel, which could improve taste and digestion [2]. Hence, grain processing is a viable approach to enhance the bioavailability of minerals in processed sorghum grain [13].…”

“…Features of the color profile of the investigated inbred line varieties based on the endosperm (grits) and bran, p ≤ 0.05. Numbers references are as follows:[1] endosperm color properties in case of 30 (S),[2] bran endosperm color properties in case of 30 (S),[3] endosperm color properties in case of 80 (S), and[4] bran color properties in case of 80 (S). 22a refers to Alpha 22 variety (Kafirin races) and 51a refers to Alpha 51 variety (Kafirin races).…”

Nutritional Traits, Pasting Properties and Antioxidant Profile of Selected Genotypes of Sorghum, Oat and Maize Eligible for Gluten-Free Products

“…Moreover, the low glycaemic index and the absence of gluten make it beneficial to diabetics and safe for people affected by celiac disease or gluten intolerances [6]. Around the world, it is consumed as porridges, bread, cookies, tortillas, extruded products and beverages [7], and in recent years it has been processed into noodles and pasta [8,9].…”