Flavonoid composition of lemon-yellow sorghum genotypes

Flavonoid composition of lemon-yellow sorghums grown in two locations in Texas, USA was evaluated and compared with that of white and red sorghums using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC-PDA). Sorghums from Lubbock were brighter in colour and had minimal weathering compared to those from College Station. Sorghums with red/purple secondary plant colour had the highest levels of 3-deoxyanthocyanidins (8–187 μg/g) and their levels were highest in grains from College Station (39–187 μg/g). Pericarp colour did not have any effect on 3-deoxyanthocyanidin levels (p > 0.05). The tan plant lemon-yellow sorghum Tx2953 had the highest levels of flavones (268–362 μg/g). Among the genotypes, lemon-yellow sorghums had the highest levels of flavanones (134–1780 μg/g), which are located in the pericarp and their levels were increased in the grains with a bright yellow pericarp and minimal weathering. The high flavanone levels in lemon-yellow sorghums makes this sorghum genotype a good source of those compounds.