Journal of Cereal Science 95 (2020) 102999

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Journal of Cereal Science

journal homepage: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jcs

Relationship between the corneous and floury endosperm content and the
popped sorghum quality
A.H. Cabrera-Ramírez a, F.G. Castro-Campos b, M. Gayta
!n-Martínez b, E. Morales-Sa
!nchez a, *
a
Instituto Polit!ecnico Nacional, CICATA-IPN Unidad Quer!etaro, Cerro Blanco No. 141, Col. Colinas del Cimatario, Santiago de Quer!etaro, Quer!etaro, C.P. 76090,
Mexico
b
Posgrado en Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Research and Graduate Studies in Food Science, School of Chemistry, Universidad Aut!
onoma de Quer!etaro, Centro
Universitario, Santiago de Quer!etaro, Qro, C.P. 76010, Mexico

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Popcorn is a healthy snack suggested by nutritionists. However, some countries in Europe, Asia, and South
Sorghum bicolor spp. America have evaluated the use of sorghum as a popped cereal. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the content
Popped sorghum of corneous and floury endosperm of sorghum and its influence in the popped sorghum quality. Five red varieties
Corneous endosperm
and three white varieties were evaluated. The physical and microstructural characteristics of the raw varieties
Floury endosperm
were evaluated. The correlation matrix showed that physical properties such as the pericarp thickness, the
hectoliter weight, and the type of endosperm are crucial to obtain popped sorghum. A high percentage of
corneous endosperm and the size distribution of starch granules in the floury endosperm determine the popping
ability of sorghum. The analysis of the principal components showed that the Paloma variety was the most
suitable to obtain popped sorghum.

1. Introduction
Nowadays, the pace of life and the working conditions of the popu-
lation have forced a change in people’s eating habits; thus, the snack
industry has significatively increased over the last years (Zungu et al.,
2019). Snacks have been used as a quick, accessible, and affordable way
to generate satiety in the consumer. Nonetheless, most of these snacks
are rich in carbohydrates and saturated fats, which results in the
damaging of the health of the population (Clayton et al., 2019). Popcorn
is a snack that has become extremely popular around the world, and has
been highly recommended by nutritionists as part of the diet
(V!azquez-Carrillo et al., 2019). Popcorn brings several advantages over
other snacks, such as feeling of fullness, low-fat content, low energy
intake, slowly digested carbohydrates, large amounts of vitamins and
minerals, and good protein bioavailability, among others (Paraginski
et al., 2016).
Popcorn is obtained through an expansion process, which consists in
subjecting the corn grain to high temperatures in a short time (HTST),
resulting in the partial gelatinization and expansion of the endosperm
after pericarp rupture (Mishra et al., 2014). The pericarp and its thick-
ness play a fundamental role in the popping process, since they work as a
pressure vessel (Mishra et al., 2014; V!azquez-Carrillo et al., 2019). The
number of popped kernels, the expansion volume, and the popped
kernel size are the principal variables reported in the evaluation of the
popped kernel quality (V! azquez-Carrillo et al., 2019). Several grains
have been used for the popping process such as wheat, rice, amaranth,
sorghum, and corn, the latter being one of the most used (Mishra et al.,
2014). Sorghum is a grain used in some European and Asian regions to
obtain popped kernels, where India is one of the primary popped sor-
ghum consumers (Dayakar Rao, 2019). Sorghum is the fifth most
important cereal worldwide, where the USA, Nigeria, and Mexico were
the largest producers in 2017 (Tymchak et al., 2018).
Several studies have centered in obtaining popped sorghum “pop-
sorghum” (as homologous to “popcorn”), but most of them have focused
on the process conditions and popping performance of Eurasian varieties
(Golubinova et al., 2017; Mishra et al., 2015a, 2015b; Sharma et al.,
2014; Tymchak et al., 2018). Sharma et al. (2014) tested different
processing methods and conditions to obtain popped sorghum (variety
CSV-15), concluding that under the treatment consisting of 18% mois-
ture content and a microwave oven at the 100% of its power, sorghum
showed the best characteristics. On the other hand, Mishra et al. (2015b)
evaluated the effects of the physicochemical characteristics of different
sorghum varieties on their popping performance using a microwave
oven; where varieties with small grains, high bulk density, medium

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: eduardo_morales_sanchez@yahoo.com.mx (E. Morales-S!
anchez).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2020.102999
Received 13 March 2020; Received in revised form 6 May 2020; Accepted 8 May 2020
Available online 24 May 2020
0733-5210/© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A.H. Cabrera-Ramírez et al.
hardness, high amylose content, and thick pericarp showed the best
popping performance. Furthermore, Mishra et al. (2015a) proposed a
pre-treatment to optimize the quality of the popped sorghum using a
household microwave oven, finding that a pre-treatment with 16.62%
moisture, 0.55% salt and 10% oil, guaranteed the best characteristics of
the crop, such as crop yield and volume expansion, as well as a higher
sensory acceptance.
In America, some studies have focused on the genetic characteristics
and climatic factors that determine the quality of the popped sorghum,
as well as the quality characteristics of the popped kernel and its po-
tential use as an additive in the development of functional foods such as
bars and cookies (Kumari et al., 2019; Llopart and Drago, 2016; Paiva
et al., 2018). Llopart and Drago (2016) evaluated the relationship of the
physicochemical characteristics of 28 varieties of sorghum and their
aptitude to pop in a fluidized bed (at 250 ! C for 1 min), finding that hard
sorghums showed the best popping characteristics. Furthermore, the
authors demonstrated that there was a predominance of white varieties
to show the best attributes in the popped kernel.
Recently, developed countries such as China and the USA have
placed an interest in assigning a significant part of their sorghum pro-
duction to industries and human consumption (Dayakar Rao, 2019). It
has been reported that in varieties of popcorn, the endosperm accounts
for up to 80% of the total grain. This endosperm is made up of two
fractions: one opaque (floury endosperm) and one translucent, known as
vitreous endosperm (corneous endosperm) (Hoseney et al., 1983). Dent
corn varieties have shown a lower content of vitreous endosperm
(<40%) in comparison with the flint and popcorn kernels varieties
(45–70%) (Larkins, 2019; V! azquez-Carrillo et al., 2019; Xu et al., 2019).
In that sense, Hoseney et al. (1983) suggested that the content of vit-
reous endosperm may be one of the closest factors that promote the
popping characteristics in popcorn during the expansion process. Like-
wise, Larkins (2019) reported that high expansion volumes in popcorn
were positively correlated with thicker pericarp, as well as with a more
vitreous endosperm and high amylose content. However, the influence
of the corneous and floury or soft endosperm content on the charac-
teristics of popped sorghum has not been reported. Therefore, this study
aims to evaluate the content of corneous and floury endosperm of sor-
ghum and its influence in the quality of the popped sorghum.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Biological material
Eight sorghum varieties, cultivated in Mexico 2019, were evaluated
in this study: five red varieties and three white varieties. The red vari-
eties were: 81g67 (high-tannin), 82g93 (low-tannin), 82g34 (low-
tannin), 8133 (low-tannin), and 85p20 (low-tannin), acquired from
DuPont Pioneer. The white varieties used were: 82w21 (low-tannin),
Paloma (tannin-free), and Primavera (tannin-free), acquired from
DuPont Pioneer, INIFAP Tamaulipas, and P!enjamo (Gto.), respectively.
2.2. Physical characterization
2.2.1. Hectoliter weight
The sorghum kernels were placed inside a cylindrical vessel (50 mL)
for the sample’s weight until the internal space was fulfilled. Excess
grain was removed using a flat ruler, and the remaining kernels in the
container were weighed, expressing the data as kg of sorghum/hL (dry
basis). This procedure was carried out by triplicate for all sorghum va-
rieties (NMX-FF-037-1994, 1994).
2.2.2. Thousand kernels weight
For the measurement of the thousand kernel weight (TKW), 100
sorghum grains were weighed and multiplied by 10. This process was
carried out in triplicate for each variety expressed in grams (dry basis)
(Mishra et al., 2015b).
2
Journal of Cereal Science 95 (2020) 102999
2.3. Microstructure evaluation of raw sorghum kernels
The evaluation of the microstructure of the raw sorghum kernels was
performed with a scanning electron microscope (SEM Phenom-World
BV, The Netherlands) adapted to work in a low vacuum, with an elec-
tron beam adjusted to 5 kV. Images were taken at 1100x (50 μm) with a
BSD detector. Each grain was fractured (surface as flat as possible) and
placed on carbon tape; then they were placed on the sample holder and
observed. Using the ImageJ (v1.52a) software, we measured the size of
the starch granules in 30 kernels by triplicate of each micrograph and
variety. With the data obtained, the distribution type and the starch
granule size proportions were calculated. Additionally, using the SEM
images and the ImageJ (v1.52a), we measured the pericarp thickness.
2.4. Evaluation of the content of corneous and floury endosperm
To determine the content of corneous and floury endosperm, the
sorghum grains were cut longitudinally, obtaining a surface as flat as
possible. Using a colloidal carbon solution, the grain was placed on the
sample holder with carbon tape, leveled, and left to dry at room tem-
perature (27 ! C) for 60 s. The images were acquired in the optical mode
(36x), using the same SEM equipment. For the image analysis, image
segmentation was performed following the methodology described by
Arriaga-P!erez et al. (2019), which consisted of applying a black and
white filter, as well as an image threshold adjustment to define the
endosperm. Finally, using the ImageJ (v1.52a) software, the area of each
endosperm (pixels2) was measured. The endosperm content in each
fraction was calculated using Eq. (1), whereas the ratio between the
corneous/floury endosperm was calculated using Eq. (2).
! "
Ai
Endosperm contentð%Þ ¼ *100 Eq. 1
ðAC þ AFÞ
AC
Ratio ðcorneous = flouryÞ ¼ Eq. 2
AF
Where AC represents the area (pixels2) of the corneous endosperm; AF
means the area of the floury endosperm (pixels2); and Ai represents the
area (pixels2) of the endosperm to be quantified (corneous or floury).
2.5. “Popsorghum” obtainment
2.5.1. Kernel pre-treatment
The moisture of 30 g of grains was adjusted to 11% following the
equation described by Mamani (2015). Once the necessary amount of
distilled water was added, the grains were left for two days, resting at 4
!
C in sealed bags. Subsequently, they were dried in a dehydrator (3900
B, Excalibur Dehydrators, Sacramento, CA, USA) at 50 ! C for 3 min to
remove surface moisture. This process was carried out for each variety of
sorghum (Eq. (3)).
# $
Wi Mf & Mi
Q¼ Eq.3
100 & Mf
Where Q refers to the grams of water needed to adjust the moisture; Wi
indicates the weight of the sample (g); Mf, the desired moisture (%); and
Mi represents the initial moisture (%).
2.5.2. Popping process
A hot-air chamber (Sunbeam brand) with a temperature controller
(Autonics TC4S) was used to pop the sorghums grains (moisture
adjusted at 11%) at a stabilized air temperature of 210 ! C for 90 s.
2.6. Popped kernel quality
2.6.1. Apparent volume and popped kernel size
Apparent volume was determined by means of the sand shift method
A.H. Cabrera-Ramírez et al. Journal of Cereal Science 95 (2020) 102999

(Llopart and Drago, 2016). The total volume of the popped kernels was
divided by the number of popped kernels in order to obtain the popped
kernel size (cm3) (V!
azquez-Carrillo et al., 2019).
2.6.2. Expansion volume
The expansion volume was calculated following the equation pub-
lished by Mishra et al. (2015b). Expansion volume is the relation be-
tween the final volume of popped sorghum (Vf) divided by the initial
volume of raw sorghum (Vi) (Eq. (4)).
Vf
Expansion volume ðdimensionlessÞ ¼
Vi
2.7. Statistical analysis
Data were expressed as the mean ' standard deviation (SD) of at
least three independent experiments. Using the statistical program
Minitab 18, an ANOVA (analysis of variance) analysis with a means
comparison by Tukey’s test was performed (p < 0.05). Pearson’s Cor-
relation Coefficient was used to illustrate the connection between the
characteristics of raw and popped sorghum. Finally, a Principal
Component Analysis (PCA) was carried out to determine the contribu-
tion of each parameter evaluated towards the overall behavior of the
data; therefore, allowing to identify which properties influence the at-
tributes of the popped sorghum.
3. Results and discussions
3.1. Physical characterization of sorghum varieties
Table 1 shows the physical properties of raw sorghum kernels, where
thousand kernel weight (TKW) and pericarp thickness presented sig-
nificant statistical differences (p < 0.05) among varieties. The hectoliter
weight of all sorghum varieties ranged from 79 to 89 kg/hL. The sor-
ghum varieties were considered as 1st quality kernel according to the
NMX–FF–037-1994. The results are according to the published reports
by Chavan et al. (2016) and Llopart and Drago (2016).
The TKW of all sorghum varieties displayed values from 29 to 36.5 g,
where red varieties showed higher values than the white ones. These
data concur with those reported by Prabhakar et al. (2017). It is worth
mentioning that the hectoliter weight and the TKW indirectly describe
the final quality of flours, where high values have been linked to high
flour yield after the milling process (Pordesimo et al., 1990).
Regarding the pericarp thickness, the red varieties 81g67 and 82g34
showed the thickest pericarp with 56.1 ' 3.2 μm and 58.8 ' 2.3,
respectively. In contrast, the Primavera variety presented the thinnest
pericarp with 23.7 ' 3.7 μm. The pericarp thickness in sorghum is linked
to the variety; Mishra et al. (2015b) reported ranges from 20.1 to 56.4
μm for the Indian sorghum varieties GJ-42, local Red, Nandel, and
Mugad. The pericarp thickness is an essential factor that has been
correlated with the popping properties of corn grains because it acts as a
pressure vessel, allowing the starch expansion (Mishra et al., 2014).
Nevertheless, V!azquez-Carrillo et al. (2019) recently reported that the
pericarp thickness in corn is not a significant factor that promotes
popping characteristics in corn kernels.
3.2. Floury and corneous endosperm content
Eq. 4
Table 1 shows the results of the floury (f) and corneous (c) endo-
sperm content, as well as the ratio between the corneous and floury
endosperm, whereas image segmentation is shown in Supplementary 1.
The Paloma variety showed the highest corneous endosperm content,
with 84.4 ' 0.5%, while the Primavera variety had the lowest amount,
with 34.8 ' 0.3%. Regarding the floury endosperm content, the Pri-
mavera variety had the highest content, with 65.2 ' 0.3, while the
Paloma variety had the lowest content.
Regarding the ratio between the corneous/floury endosperm, the
same trend as the corneous endosperm was observed. The Paloma va-
riety had the highest ratio with 5.4, while the others ranged from 0.5 to
2.1. Contents of 59–84 percent of corneous endosperm have been re-
ported for different sorghum cultivars (Ioerger et al., 2007), which is
consistent with the findings in the study. In popcorn kernels, floury
endosperm contents have been reported from 9 to 30%, depending on
the variety (V!azquez-Carrillo et al., 2019). It has been reported that
maize varieties with high corneous (vitreous) endosperm contents show
the best expansion characteristics (Pordesimo et al., 1990; Serna-Saldi-
var and Perez Carrillo, 2019). It is necessary to state that in sorghum, as
far as it is known, the relationship of endosperm contents with the
characteristics of the popped sorghum has not been reported yet.
3.3. Evaluation of the sorghum microstructure
Fig. 1 shows the microstructure of the raw sorghum varieties, while
Table 2 presents the starch granule size and granule size distribution in
the floury endosperm. Regarding the red varieties, the 81g67 variety
(Fig. 1a) presented a slightly compact structure, with trimodal distri-
bution (three granule sizes) (Table 2), with granule sizes of 6.7 ' 1.7 μm,
11.3 ' 0.9 μm, and 14.9 ' 1.5 μm, with a ratio of 17, 20 and 63%,
respectively. The 82g93 variety showed a compact granular arrange-
ment, with high presence of the protein matrix and little homogeneity in
the size of the granules (Fig. 1b), with granule sizes of 12.1 ' 0.8 μm and
15.1 ' 1 μm, with a ratio of 47:53; therefore, having a bimodal distri-
bution (two granule size) (Table 2). In the 82g34 variety, a larger
quantity of protein matrix was observed, with a slightly compact gran-
ular matrix (Fig. 1c), with granule sizes of 11.1 ' 0.8 μm and 16.4 ' 0.7

Table 1
Physical characteristics of raw sorghum kernels.
Variety Hectoliter weight TKW Pericarp thickness Corneous endosperm Floury endosperm Ratio C/F

(kg/hL)* (g)* (μm) (%) (%)

Red sorghums
81g67 84.6 ' 0.1a 33.5 ' 1.7ab 56.1 ' 3.2a 67.6 ' 0.5b 32.4 ' 0.5g 2.1 ' 0.1b
82g93 88.1 ' 3.7a 33.2 ' 1.4ab 34.6 ' 3.1b 63.1 ' 0.1d 37.0 ' 0.1d 1.7 ' 0.1c
82g34 87.6 ' 0.1a 31.6 ' 1.1ab 58.8 ' 2.3a 57.8 ' 0.3e 42.2 ' 0.3c 1.4 ' 0. 1d
8133 84.9 ' 5.8a 36.5 ' 3.8a 39.3 ' 1.6b 66.2 ' 0.2c 33.8 ' 0.2e 2.1 ' 0.1b
85p20 86.3 ' 2.3a 36.8 ' 1.6a 32.5 ' 1.5b 51.6 ' 0.6f 48.4 ' 0.6b 1.1 ' 0.1e
Mean 86.3 ' 3.1 34.3 ' 2.8 44.5 ' 12.1 61.3 ' 6.1 38.8 ' 6.1 1.6 ' 0.4
White sorghums
82w21 79.8 ' 3.3a 32.0 ' 1.6ab 33.6 ' 2.8b 67.8 ' 0.1b 32.2 ' 0.1f 2.1 ' 0.0b
Paloma 88.7 ' 3.5a 29.0 ' 2.6b 35.4 ' 4.1b 84.4 ' 0.5a 15.6 ' 0.5g 5.4 ' 0.2a
Primavera 82.4 ' 3.2a 30.1 ' 1.1b 23.7 ' 3.7c 34.8 ' 0.3g 65.2 ' 0.3a 0.5 ' 0.0f
Mean 83.6 ' 4.9 30.4 ' 2.1 30.6 ' 6.1 62.3 ' 21.9 37.7 ' 21.9 2.7 ' 2.2

Results were expressed as the mean ' standard deviation of three independent experiments. Different letters per row indicate in the same column indicate statistical
differences between varieties (p < 0.05). *: dry weight; TWK: thousand kernel weight. C: corneous endosperm; f: Floury endosperm.

3
A.H. Cabrera-Ramírez et al.
Fig. 1. Microstructure of different raw sorghum varieties (magnification of
1100(). a: 81g67; b: 82g93; c: 82g34; d: 8133; e: 85p20; f: 82w21; g: Paloma;
h: Primavera. Pb: protein body; Pm: protein matrix; SG: starch granule.
μm, in a 77:23 ratio, with a bimodal distribution (Table 2). On the other
hand, the 8133 variety showed a compact and organized matrix
(Fig. 1d), with granules of 13.9 ' 1.9 μm and 16.9 ' 0.7 μm, with a ratio
of 83: 17% and a bimodal distribution (two granule sizes) (Table 2). The
85p20 variety showed a compact matrix, with little intragranular space
(Fig. 1e) and granule size of 16.6 ' 1.7 μm and 21.2 ' 0.6 μm, with a
proportion of 80: 20%, showing a bimodal distribution (two granule
sizes) (Table 2).
Regarding the white varieties, 82w21 (Fig. 1f) showed a small
granule size with a bimodal distribution (two granule sizes), with
4
Journal of Cereal Science 95 (2020) 102999
granule sizes of 14.3 ' 1.5 μm and 17.5 ' 1.2 μm, with a ratio of 57: 43%
(Table 2). In comparison, the Paloma variety shows a less compact
granular matrix (Fig. 1g), with granules sizes of 7.4 ' 1.6 μm and 21.0 '
1.8 μm, with a ratio of 27: 73%, showing a bimodal distribution (two
granule sizes) (Table 2). Finally, the spring variety (Fig. 1h) showed a
more homogeneous granular matrix, and a unimodal distribution (one
granule size), with an average size of 13.9 ' 1.6 μm (Table 2).
Palavecino et al. (2019) reported a starch granule size of 16 μm for
white sorghum, whereas Zhu (2014) described a range from 4 to 35 μm
in among varieties, being described as small granules <10 μm and large
>10 μm. Hence, following this statement, the size of the starch granule
in the study was considered large. In popcorn kernels, the starch gran-
ules are highly packed with little intergranular space surrounded by a
vast protein matrix (V!azquez-Carrillo et al., 2019). Furthermore, a
negative correlation between the size of the starch granule and the grain
hardness was found in corn, whereas varieties with large granules
showed lower hardness (Gayt!an-Martínez et al., 2006).
3.4. Sorghum popping properties
Table 3 shows the quality parameters in the popped sorghum, such as
number of popped and unpopped kernels, as well as the popped kernel
size, and the expansion volume for each sorghum variety. Regarding the
number of popped and unpopped kernels, no statistical differences be-
tween varieties were found (p < 0.05). However, a marked trend in the
Paloma variety was observed in presenting the highest number of pop-
ped kernels, with 71.5 ' 2.3%. In contrast, the Primavera variety pre-
sented the lowest, with 42.4 ' 4.1%. The above ranks the Paloma
variety with the best yield (popped kernels), followed by 81g67 with
71.5% and 57.3% of popped kernels, respectively. It must be noted that
the 81g67 variety showed the thickest pericarp, whereas the Primavera
variety showed the thinnest one (Table 1). As for the Indian sorghum
varieties popped in a microwave oven, Mishra et al. (2015b) informed
that varieties with the thickest pericarp showed the best popping char-
acteristics. The number of popped sorghums is directly dependent on the
variety and moisture content, ranging from 40% to 92% (Golubinova
et al., 2017; Mishra et al., 2015a; Rooney and Rooney, 2013).
Regarding the popped kernel size, Paloma, 81g67, and 82g33
showed to be statistically different (p < 0.05), presenting the largest
popped kernel sizes with 1.39 ' 0.05, 1.34 ' 0.19 and 1.24 ' 0.33,
respectively. Whereas, in contrast, varieties 85p20, 82w21, and Prima-
vera presented the smallest popped kernel sizes of the set with 0.68 '
0.15, 0.52 ' 0.02, and 0.51 ' 0.09, respectively. Popped kernel size is a
determining factor in the popped kernel quality, since the marketing of
this product is based on volume; thus, larger sizes are highly preferred.
In popcorn, popped kernel sizes range from 1.4 to 3.2 among different
varieties of popcorn kernels (V! azquez-Carrillo et al., 2019). Regarding
expansion volume, the 81g67 and 82g34 varieties showed the highest
expansion volumes, followed by Paloma and 82g93, which showed a
volume of 1.88 ' 0.1, 1.61 ' 0.3, 1.13 ' 0.1 and 1.11 ' 0.4 times
greater than crude, respectively. The rest of the varieties had the lowest
values, with 0.4–0.6. Previously, Mishra et al. (2015b) reported
expansion volumes from 9 to 15% (~0.09–0.15) in different sorghums;
then, it was observed that the volume reached 12–15% after the addition
of oil (Mishra et al., 2015a). The results found are consistent with the
data previously reported by Llopart and Drago (2016), who found
popping performances between 23 and 87% depending on the sorghum
variety, while the ability to pop ranged from 6.7 to 13.1.
In summary, the Paloma, 81g67 and 82g34 varieties showed the best
popped kernel size and a higher number of popped kernels, which places
them as good candidates for the popping process, being the Paloma
variety the one that guarantees the highest yields.
3.5. Relationship between raw and popped properties
Fig. 2a shows the correlation matrix between the physical properties
A.H. Cabrera-Ramírez et al. Journal of Cereal Science 95 (2020) 102999

Table 2
Starch granule size and distribution in the floury endosperm.
Variety Granule size Granule size distribution

(μm) (%)

Red sorghums
81g67 a) 6.7 ' 1.7f
b) 11.3 ' 0.9de
c) 14.9 ' 1. 5bcd
82g93 a) 12.1 ' 0.8cd
b) 15.0 ' 1.0bcd
32g34 a) 11.9 ' 2.1d
b) 16.4 ' 0.7abc
8133 a) 13.9 ' 1. 9bcd
b) 16.9 ' 0.7ab

85p20 a) 16.6 ' 1.7abc

b) 21.2 ' 0.6a
82w21

White sorghums
a) 14.3 ' 1.5bcd
b) 17.5 ' 1.2ab
Paloma a) 7.4 ' 1. 6ef
b) 21.0 ' 1.8a
Primavera a) 13.9 ' 1.6bcd

Data were expressed as the mean ' standard deviation of the analysis of 30 kernels by triplicated per variety. Different letters indicate statistical
differences between varieties (p < 0.05).

Table 3
Popped sorghum quality parameters. of the raw and popped sorghum “popsorghum”. Only physical charac-
teristics such as hectoliter weight and pericarp thickness showed cor-
Variety Popped Unpopped Popped kernel Expansion
kernels kernels size volume relation with the characteristics of the popped sorghum. A positive
correlation was found between the hectoliter weight and the popped
(%) (%) (cm3)
kernel size (r ¼ 0.54, p < 0.01); thus, hectoliter weight could help to
Red sorghums improve the ability to pop, having a larger “popsorghum” size in varieties
81g67 57.32 ' 42.68 ' 0.74ab 1.34 ' 0.19a 1.88 ' 0.1a
0.74ab
with high hectoliter weight values. The physical characteristics of the
82g93 51.56 ' 48.44 ' 6.77 a
1.25 ' 0.33a
1.11 ' 0.36b grain inherently determine the properties and performance of the grain
6.77b expanded. It has been reported that the size of the grain, as well as its
82g34 45.68 ' 54.32 ' 11.73a 1.14 ' 0.05ab 1.61 ' 0.25a shape and density, directly affect the volume of expansion (Mishra et al.,
11.25b
2014; Pordesimo et al., 1990). On the other hand, Golubinova et al.
8133 56.94 ' 43.06 ' 5.28ab 0.75 ' 0.1bc 0.58 ' 0.02c
5.28ab (2017) showed a positive correlation between popping yield, moisture
85p20 54.06 ' 4.7b 45.94 ' 4.7a 0.68 ' 0.15c 0.63 ' 0.1c content, and crude protein, whereas the starch content was negatively
Mean 53.11 ' 46.89 ' 4.77 1.03 ' 0.30 0.58 ' 0.33 correlated. In corn, the hectoliter weight and sphericity of the grain are
4.77 two factors that have been positively correlated with the expansion
White sorghums
82w21 52.25 ' 47.76 ' 1.51a 0.51 ' 0.09c 0.33 ' 0.03c
volume in popcorn (Pordesimo et al., 1990). Our results suggest that in
1.511b sorghum, the pericarp thickness and hectoliter weight are a physical
Paloma 71.48 ' 28.52 ' 2.26b 1.39 ' 0.05a 1.13 ' 0.06b parameter that positively affects the popped sorghum attributes.
2.26a The characteristics of the starch in the floury endosperm showed a
Primavera 42.32 ' 57.68 ' 4.14a 0.52 ' 0.02c 0.36 ' 0.02c
significant correlation with the characteristics of the popped kernel
4.14b
Mean 55.35 ± 44.65 ± 14.83 0.81 ± 0.51 0.61 ± 0.45 (Fig. 2a). A higher abundance of large granules in the floury endosperm
14.83 was positively correlated with the number of popped kernels (r ¼ 0.57, p
< 0.01), and a negative correlation with the number of unpopped ker-
Results were expressed as the mean ' standard deviation of three independent
experiments, using 100 kernels by experiment. Different letters per row in the
nels (r ¼ -0.57, p < 0.01). That means large granules arranged in the
same parameter indicate statistical differences between varieties (p < 0.05). flour endosperm lead to a greater number of popped kernels, thus
increasing the yield of the variety. The distribution type was positively

5
A.H. Cabrera-Ramírez et al.
Fig. 2. a) Correlation matrix between the physical properties of the raw and popped sorghum. Red and blue colors indicate a negative and positive correlation,
respectively. The intensity in color indicates the strength of the correlation, whereas asterisks symbolize the significance level of the correlation (*p < 0.05, **p <
0.01, and ***p < 0.001). b) Schematic of the behavior of the granule size distribution (unimodal and bimodal) in the floury endosperm, and its relationship with the
popped sorghum size.
correlated with the expansion volume (r ¼ 0.43, p < 0.05) and popped
kernel size (r ¼ 0.56, p < 0.01). In contrast, the unpopped kernels were
negatively correlated (r ¼ -0.41, p < 0.05); thus, a bimodal distribution
type could have better characteristics such as expansion volume, pro-
ducing larger popped kernels and a smaller number of unpopped ker-
nels. On the other side, the proportion between large and small starch
granules showed a positive correlation with the expansion volume (r ¼
0.45, p < 0.05), popped kernels (r ¼ 0.76, p < 0.001), popped kernel
ratio (r ¼ 0.41, p < 0.05), and the popped kernel weight (r ¼ 0.45, p <
0.05); while the unpopped kernel was negatively correlated (r ¼ -0.78, p
< 0.001). Based on this data, we infer that the presence of both large
and small starch granules in the floury endosperm is a key factor.
However, the proportion of these granules plays a vital role during the
popping process, where varieties with a ratio of 27:73 [s:l] (Paloma’s
case) showed the best popping characteristics and quality.
Regarding the endosperm characteristics, the corneous endosperm
content was positively correlated with the number of popped kernels (r
¼ 0.75, p < 0.001), the size (r ¼ 0.57, p < 0.001) and the weight of the
popped kernels (r ¼ 0.46, p < 0.05); while the number of unpopped
kernels was negatively correlated (r ¼ -0.76, p < 0.001) with this
parameter. The floury endosperm content was negatively correlated
with the number of popped kernels (r ¼ -0.75, p < 0.001), the size (r ¼
-0.57, p < 0.01) and the weight of the popped kernel (r ¼ -0.46, p <
0.05). In contrast, the number of unpopped kernels was positively
correlated (r ¼ 0.76, p < 0.001) with the floury endosperm content. The
endosperm ratio (corneous/floury) showed a positive correlation with
the number of popped kernels (r ¼ 0.80, p < 0.001), as well as the size (r
¼ 0.53, p < 0.01), radius (r ¼ 0.67, p < 0.001), and weight of the
popped kernels (r ¼ 0.44, p < 0.05); whereas the number of unpopped
kernels was negatively correlated (r ¼ -0.80, p < 0.001) with this
characteristic. The content of floury endosperm tends to decrease the
characteristics and quality of the popped kernel, while corneous endo-
sperm promotes them. Furthermore, the ratio of endosperms (c/f)
directly affects the characteristics and quality of the popped kernel,
where varieties with higher proportion showed the best characteristics
for popping.
Starting from the above, Fig. 2b shows a schematic comparison of the
6
Journal of Cereal Science 95 (2020) 102999
possible behaviors between the starch granules arranged in the floury
endosperm and the unimodal or bimodal starch distribution type during
the popping process. In a unimodal distribution, the granular matrix has
multiple intergranular spaces. Thus, during the popping process, these
granules will focus on filling empty spaces, reducing the pressure exer-
ted on the pericarp and the differential pressure among the ambient
pressure, which results in smaller popped kernels, and in some cases, in
insufficient pressure to allow the kernel to pop. Conversely, in a bimodal
distribution (Fig. 2b), the starch matrix consists of two starch granule
sizes. Hence, the presence of intergranular spaces is lower in comparison
with the unimodal. Therefore, during the popping process this charac-
teristic allows the granules to focus on expanding (no empty spaces to
fill); thus, the internal pressure increases, resulting in a high differential
pressure between atmosphere pressures. The aforementioned generates
a high expansion volume in the kernel, obtaining a larger popped sor-
ghum and a lower incidence of unpopped grains after the pericarp
breaks.
The popped kernel weight was positively correlated with the number
of popped kernels (r ¼ 0.40, p < 0.05), and negatively correlated with
the number of unpopped kernels (r ¼ -0.41, p < 0.05) (Fig. 2a). The
expansion volume was positively correlated with the number of popped
kernels (r ¼ 0.58, p < 0.01), while it was negatively correlated with the
number of unpopped kernels (r ¼ -0.57, p < 0.01). In addition, popped
kernel density was negatively correlated with the expansion volume (r
¼ -0.79, p < 0.001) and the number of popped kernel size (r ¼ -0.63, p
< 0.01).
In summary, the correlation analysis allowed us to know how each of
the characteristics evaluated was related to the attributes of the popped
sorghum. Likewise, it was possible to found that physical characteristics
such as the hectoliter weight and the pericarp thickness determine the
properties of the popped sorghum. Moreover, the components of the
endosperm, such as the corneous endosperm content and the starch
distribution type, positively affect the attributes of the popped sorghum.
However, with this information, we were not able to conclude which
variety was the most suitable to obtain popped sorghum yet.
A.H. Cabrera-Ramírez et al. Journal of Cereal Science 95 (2020) 102999

Fig. 3. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) grouped by their capability to produce “popsorghum”. A) Eigenvalues and their contribution to the total variation of the
analyzed variables; B) Contribution of each variable in each component of the PCA analysis; C) Scatter and loading plot of the first and second components. TKW:
thousand kernel weight. PC: principal component. Green group: )70% popped kernels; Blue group: 45–50% of popped kernels; Red group: < 45% of popped kernels.
(For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)

3.6. Principal component analysis
In order to know how the analyzed variables related to each other, as
well as the common characteristics among the varieties of sorghum that
promote the popping qualities, we performed a principal component
analysis (PCA) with all the parameters assessed in this study. The first
three components explain 86.75% of the variability in the data (Fig. 3A).
The first component explains 55.27% of the variability in the results,
while the second explains 20.68% of the data variability. Moreover, the
starch granule size proportion (l/s), the number of popped kernels, the
corneous endosperm content (%), the corneous/floury ratio, and the
hectoliter weight, all affected the first component positively (Fig. 3B).
On the other hand, the number of unpopped kernels and the floury
endosperm content contributes negatively to this component. As for the
second component, the pericarp thickness, the expansion volume, the
popped kernel size, and the starch distribution type, had a positive in-
fluence; whereas large granules, the number of popped kernels, and the
ratio between the corneous/floury endosperm contributed negatively to
the second component (Fig. 3B).
Fig. 3C shows the score plot of the PCA; the data were named by the
variety and grouped according to their capability to produce popped
sorghum. A marked grouping was observed according to the capability
of the varieties to obtain popped sorghum. The first group (green)
consists of the Paloma variety, which showed the best yields (70%), as
well as the best characteristics of the popped kernel (radius, weight).
This variety showed specifically starch characteristics such as the higher
content of corneous endosperm and the most notable proportion of large
starch granules in the floury endosperm. The central group (blue) con-
sists of varieties with a yield between 45 and 50%, considered a low
capacity to produce popped sorghum. There was a tendency in this
group to form two subgroups based on the characteristics of the popped
sorghum: the red and the blue dotted lines. Moreover, it was observed
that these varieties showed corneous endosperm contents that ranged
from 50 to 70%. Despite its low yield, the 81g67 (C) variety shows
desirable characteristics such as high expansion volume, excellent pop-
up capability, as well as large sizes in popped grain. In contrast, varieties
85p20 (F), 82w21 (E), 82g93 (D), and 8133 (B), despite their perfor-
mance, presented medium characteristics in the popped kernels such as

7
A.H. Cabrera-Ramírez et al.
popped kernel size and expansion volume. However, according to their
physicochemical characteristics, these varieties could be used for other
industrial purposes, such as the extraction of flour and starch, or as a
food additive to improve rheological properties (Narv! aez-Gonz!alez
et al., 2007). Finally, the third group (red) showed low popped kernel
attributes, including varieties 82g34 (A) and Primavera (H), which
could not obtain popped sorghum, with a number of popped kernels
under 40%. These varieties presented the most considerable number of
unpopped kernels and the smallest number of popped kernels.
Furthermore, the Primavera variety stood out for having the highest
content of floury endosperm, which could suggest this variety as being
the best candidate for the flour and starch industry, as well as for the
obtaining of bakery products such as bread, biscuits, doughs, and tor-
tillas, among others (Narv!aez-Gonz!alez et al., 2007).
4. Conclusions
The content of floury and corneous endosperm are crucial factors
that affect the properties and quality of the popped sorghum, where
higher contents of corneous endosperm allow to obtain popped sorghum
with desirable characteristics. Even more, the results suggest that the
granule size distribution affects the properties of popped sorghum,
where a bimodal distribution (two granules sizes) with a ratio of 27:73,
between small and large granules, reduces the empty spaces between
granules; thus, generating a larger popped sorghum size. These findings
contribute in several ways to our understanding of how physical char-
acteristics work together to obtain desirable features in popped
sorghum.
As the results showed, out of the eight sorghum varieties studied, the
white variety Paloma had the highest amount of popped grains and the
best volumetric characteristics (volume and size), due to their granule
size distribution, the amount of corneous endosperm, the pericarp
thickness, and the hectoliter weight; as well as their popping charac-
teristics like size, expansion volume and the number of popped kernels.
Author declaration
We wish to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest
associated with this publication and there has been no significant
financial support for this work that could have influenced its outcome.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
A.H. Cabrera-Ramírez: Investigation, Formal analysis. F.G. Castro-
Campos: Investigation, Methodology. M. Gayt! an-Martínez: Method-
ology, Supervision, Writing - review & editing. E. Morales-Sa! nchez:
Writing - original draft.
Acknowledgments
Authors A. H. Cabrera-Ramírez and F. G. Castro-Campos were sup-
ported by a scholarship from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tec-
nología (CONACYT-M!exico), with grant numbers: 734975 and 712859,
respectively. This work was partially supported by “Instituto Polit!ecnico
Nacional” and “Universidad Aut! onoma de Quer!etaro”, with grant
numbers SIP-20196083, SIP20200568, and FOPER-2019-00626,
respectively.
8
Journal of Cereal Science 95 (2020) 102999
Appendix A. Supplementary data
Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.jcs.2020.102999.
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