Effect of food-to-food fortification of sorghum fortified with hibiscus calyx powder and cashew apple flour on mineral bioaccessibility and health-promoting properties of their soft porridges

This study investigated the effects of food-to-food fortification of wholegrain sorghum porridges with locally available plant foodstuffs rich in iron and zinc (hibiscus calyx powder) and organic acids (ascorbic acid and citric acid) as mineral bioavailability enhancers (cashew apple flour) at a 15% level of fortification on iron and zinc bioaccessibility measured using an in vitro dialysability assay. This was compared with conventional fortification using iron and zinc in the forms of FeSO₄ and ZnSO₄, respectively, and ascorbic and citric acid.

The study also investigated the effect of fortifying wholegrain sorghum with cashew apple flour at various levels of substitution on the phenolic profile of the composite porridge formulations using Ultra-Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS). The health-promoting properties of the composite porridges in terms of their ability to protect against oxidative stress were determined using in vitro radical scavenging assays, namely, ABTS radical scavenging, DPPH radical scavenging, and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC), and the cell-based Caco-2 cellular antioxidant activity.