Wholegrain flours of differently colored maize kernels as macro- and micronutrient-rich food ingredients

Abstract

Four commercial wholegrain flours made from differently colored kernels of maize genotypes produced in Maize Research Institute "Zemun Polje" were used as the subject of this study. Values of major chemical components as well as mineral nutrients, antioxidants and some vitamins of wholegrain flours obtained from white dent hybrid, yellow popping maize hybrid, red dent variety and blue popping maize landrace are presented. All flours had high fiber content (6.9-10.4%), while total protein ranged from 8.5% to 12.2%. A high level of anthocyanins was determined in blue popping maize wholegrain flour (910.0 mg CGE/kg), whereas yellow popping maize flour had a high content of total carotenoids (26.5 mg βCE/kg). Total antioxidant capacity was the lowest in white (15.50 mmol Trolox Eq/kg) and the highest in blue popping maize flour (37.6 mmol Trolox Eq/kg). All investigated wholegrain flours contained high levels of potassium and magnesium, as well as high content of trace elements, namely iron, zinc, copper and manganese. The maize flour is naturally gluten-free, which makes it highly suitable for persons susceptible to a gluten allergy and those with celiac disease. These results indicate that the wholegrain ZP maize flours can be used as functional food ingredients.

Kao predmet ovog istraživanja korišćena su četiri komercijalna integralna brašna dobijena od genotipova kukuruza različite boje zrna proizvedenih u Institutu za kukuruz „Zemun Polje“. Prikazane su vrednosti glavnih nutritivnih parametara kao i mineralnih materija, antioksidanata i pojedinih vitamina integralnog brašna dobijenog od hibrida belog zubana, hibrida kukuruza žutog kokičara, sorte crvenog zubana i populacije kukuruza plavog kokičara. Sva brašna su imala visok sadržaj vlakana (6,9-10,4%), dok se sadržaj proteina kretao od 8,5% do 12,2%. Visok nivo antocijana utvrđen je u integralnom brašnu kukuruza plavog zrna (910,00 mg CGE/kg, pri čemu je u žutom kukuruznom brašnu utvrđen visok sadržaj karotenoida (26,5 mg βCE/kg). Ukupni antioksidativni kapacitet bio je najniži u belom (15,50 mmol Trolox Ek/kg), a najviši u plavom kukuruznom brašnu (37,60 mmol Trolox Eq/kg). Sva ispitivana integralna brašna sadržala su visok nivo kalijuma i magnezijuma, kao i visok sadržaj mikroelemenata, odnosno gvožđa, cinka, bakra i mangana. Ovi rezultati ukazuju da se integralna ZP kukuruzna brašna mogu koristiti kao funkcionalni sastojci hrane.