1. Non-haem-iron absorption from a variety of cereal and fibre meals was measured in parous Indian women, using the erythrocyte utilization of radioactive Fe method.2. The present study was undertaken to establish whether alteration of the phytate and polyphenol contents of sorghum (Sorghum vulgare) affected Fe absorption from sorghum meals, and to assess the influence of fibre on Fe absorption.3. Removing the outer layers of sorghum grain by pearling reduced the polyphenol and phytate contents by 96 and 92% respectively. This treatment significantly increased the geometric mean Fe absorption from 0.017 to 0.035 (t 3.9, P < 0405). 4.The geometric mean Fe absorption from a sorghum cultivar that lacked polyphenols (albino sorghum) was 0.043, which was significantly greater than the 0.019 absorbed from bird-proof sorghum, a cultivar with a high polyphenol content (t 2.83, P < 0.05). 5.Fe was less well absorbed from the phytate-rich pearlings of the albino sorghum than from the pearled albino sorghum (0.015 v. 0.035 ( t 8.4, P < 0.0005)). Addition of sodium phytate to a highly Fe-bioavailable broccoli (Brassica oleracea) meal reduced Fe absorption from 0.185 to 0.037. 6. The geometric mean Fe absorption from malted sorghum porridge was 0.024 when 9.5 mg ascorbic acid were added and 0.094 when the ascorbic acid was increased to 50 mg (t 3.33, P < 0405). This enhancing effect of 50 mg ascorbic acid was significantly depressed to 0.04 by tea (t 38.1, P < 0.0005). 7. Wheat bran significantly decreased the geometric mean Fe absorption from white flour from 0.1 16 to 0.043 8. Some of the constituents of the dietary fibre complex, such as apple pectin, guar gum, gum tragacanth ana microcrystalline cellulose did not inhibit Fe absorption. On the other hand, hemicellulose and lignin decreased absorption. The geometric mean absorption of Fe given with hemicellulose was 0.079 v. 0.269 with microcrystalline cellulose (t 2.95, P < 0.05). Addition of cocoa, which contains approximately 280 g lignin/kg, reduced the geometric mean Fe absorption from milk from 0.075 to 0.035 (t 2.7, P < 0.05).(t 7.2, P < 0.0005).

The effect of germination conditions on sorghum malt quality and malting loss was studied by germinat ing sorghum for different periods of time up to 6 days over a range of temperatures (24 to approximately 36°C) and moisture conditions. The moistureconditions varied fromthatsufficientto maintain green malt weight to that where surface moisture remained on the malt throughout germination. Germination time, temperature, moisture and the three possible pairwise interactions all had a highly significant effect on malt diastatic power, free a-amino nitrogen and extract. Malting loss was highly significantly affected by germination time and moisture and their pair-wise interaction. However, over the range examined, germination temperature had no significant effect on malting loss. In general diastatic power, free a-amino nitrogen, extract, and malting loss all increased with germination time. Germination tempera tures of 24°and 28°C were both equally good for the development of diastatic power, free a-amino nitrogen and extract but higher temperatures were progressively worse. Distatic power, free a-amino nitrogen, extract and malting loss were, in general, all increased by high moisture during germination.However, high moisture and a negative effect on diastatic power towards the end of the germination period.Key words: Sorghum, malting, diastatic power, free amino nitrogen, extract, malting loss. IntroductionMalted sorghum {Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is used in the brewing of the traditional alcoholic beverage of Southern Africa, known as sorghum beer.13'14 In sorghum beer brewing, unlike lager brewing, diastatic power is a much more important criterion of malt quality than extract.10 This is because the diastatic power of sorghum malt is intrinsically rather low14 and because the malt has to act on twice its own weight of starchy adjunct during mash ing.12'14 Another important parameter of malt quality in sorghum beer brewing is free a-amino nitrogen content. This is again due to the fact that the relative percentage of malt in the mash is low. Furthermore-, sorghum malt pro duces only a small additional amount of free a-amino nitro gen during mashing19 and the starchy adjunct (maize grits or sorghum grain1 ) contributes very little to the final free a-amino nitrogen content of the wort.6Recently, there has been some interest in the feasibility of using malted sorghum for the brewing of lager becr.8>15i '7 This topic is of interest to brewers in countries where the climate is suitable for the cultivation of sorghum but not barley.l>Sl17 However, Nout and Davies8 considered that sorghum malt was not even adequate as an extender for barley malt, because of its low extract and poor filterability.Research into the effects of malting conditions on the quality of sorghum malt has been limited.7*10'1'116 Their effects on free a-amino nitrogen content having until now received no attention whatsoever. This paper describes an investigation into the effect of germination time, tempera ture and moisture on the developme...

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A new rapid method for the determination of malt glycosidic nitrile, using an enzymatic incubation with beta-glucosidase, was tested in an inter-laboratory collaborative trial. Repeatability (rSB) and reproducibility (R0B) values are reported. A limited comparison is made with the existing deter mination of malt combined nitrile using methods involving laboratory fermentations.

When decorticated grains are grown at 25°C, in the dark and on a wet substratum the starchy endosperm is progressively dissolved and the residue is surrounded by a fluid filled space. The pattern of endosperm liquefaction is described. Attention is called to the important differences which exist between malted grains and those which have been grown ‘wet and warm’.