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Title: EFFECT OF HARVEST MOISTURE CONTENT AND AMBIENT AIR DRYING ON MAIZE FIBER OIL YIELD AND ITS PHYTOSTEROL COMPOSITION

Author
item SINGH, VIJAY - UNIV. OF ILLINOIS URBANA
item YANG, PING - UNIV. OF ILLINOIS URBANA
item Moreau, Robert
item Hicks, Kevin
item ECKHOFF, STEVEN - UNIV OF ILLINOIS URBANA

Submitted to: Starch
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/1/2001
Publication Date: 8/1/2001
Citation: Starch 53(2001)p.635-638

Interpretive Summary: The moisture content of harvested corn kernels can range from 10 to 30 % moisture. Air drying of kernels after harvest can have a significant effect on corn processing characteristics and recovery of coproducts. In this study effect of harvest moisture content and ambient air drying was evaluated on the corn fiber yields, corn fiber oil yields and its cholesterol lowering compounds. Corn fiber was obtained by wet milling corn harvested at different moisture contents and ambient air drying. The fiber samples were extracted for corn fiber oil and then oil was analyzed analytically for cholesterol lowering compounds. The results suggest that as harvest moisture content goes down, the amount of the corn fiber oil extracted from the corn fiber decreases but the concentration of the cholesterol lowering compounds in the corn fiber oil increase. In other words the recovery of cholesterol lowering compounds from corn fiber is not taffected by the change in the harvest moisture content or air drying of corn. The study helps in optimizing the harvest and post harvest conditions of corn for recovery of corn fiber oil and its cholesterol lowering compounds.

Technical Abstract: Effect of harvest moisture content and ambient air drying on maize fiber yield, fiber oil content and the phytosterol composition of maize fiber oil were evaluated. Maize was harvested at approximately five different harvest moisture contents (28.0, 23.0, 20.0, 18.0 and 15.0%). Effect of air drying was studied by ambient drying the maize harvested at 28.0% moisture content to 20.0 and 13.0% moisture content. Effect of both harvest moisture content and ambient air drying were significant on all the dependent variables, however, no clear trends were observed. The results suggest that as harvest moisture content goes down the amount of oil extracted from the maize fiber decreases but the concentration of the phytosterols in the maize fiber oil increases proportionally.