Phenolic compounds profile in sorghum processed by extrusion cooking and dry heat in a conventional oven

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is a gluten-free cereal that has the highest content of phenolic compounds among cereals. It needs to be processed prior to use for human consumption, which may change its antioxidant profile. The knowledge on the effects of extrusion and dry heat in a conventional oven on flavones, flavanones, and proanthocyanidins is limited. Thus, the content and stability to dry heat in a conventional oven (DHCO) and extrusion cooking on phenolic compounds profile in sorghum genotypes were evaluated. Flavanones and flavones decreased after extrusion cooking (100%) and DHCO (31.7–61.6%). The 3-deoxyanthocyanidins were stable in DHCO but were susceptible to extrusion cooking (70.7–93.9%). Proanthocyanidins were identified only in the genotype SC391 and were reduced after both treatments (DHCO: 39.2% and extrusion cooking: 52.1%). Phenols decreased in the genotype SC319 submitted to DHCO (8.3%) and in all extruded genotypes (13.6–14.9%). The DHCO increased the antioxidant capacity in all genotypes, whereas extrusion cooking reduced antioxidant capacity in only two genotypes. In general, differential stability of the major flavonoids in sorghum was observed under DHCO and extrusion cooking, implying that different processing techniques can be selected to minimize losses of bioactive polyphenols in sorghum depending on the flavonoid composition.