Cereal Chem 40:241 - 249.  |  VIEW ARTICLE

An Examination of Anthocyanogens in Grain Sorghums.

C. W. Blessin, C. H. VanEtten, and R. J. Dimler. Copyright 1963 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Anthocyanogens (leucoanthocyanins) were detected in yellow milo and red kafir sorghums but not in white kafir, waxy, and yellow-endosperm varieties. When present, these compounds are located mainly in the pericarp and are generally absent from the endosperm. The anthocyanogens in aqueous extracts of the whole grain were isolated by a procedure based on adsorption by strongly basic ion exchange resins. Spectral data on the purified material in neutral, acidic, and basic solvents are discussed. The usual methods for converting anthocyanogens to anthocyanidins were not applicable. Fisetinidin was tentatively identified as one of the reaction products resulting from treatment of the anthocyanogens with 12N hydrochloric acid at room temperature. Spectral data on the purified material at various oxidation stages are presented.