Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Native Maize from the Jalisco Highlands and Their Influence on the Nixtamalization Process

Abstract

From a cultural point of view, Maize is the most important crop in Mexico, and is also an essential food in the Mexican diet. This study aimed to evaluate the physical and chemical characteristics of maize grain and their influence on the quality of dough and tortillas produced with three native maize cultivars from western Mexico. Physical, structural, and chemical characteristics of the grain were evaluated, including hectolitric weight, 100-grain weight, flotation index, grain structure, grain color, pedicel, pericarp, germ, and floury endosperm, vitreous endosperm, ethereal extract, and protein. Nixtamal and tortilla quality include nixtamal moisture, dough moisture, freshly made tortilla moisture, total soluble solids, pericarp remnant, dough yield, and hot tortilla yield. In general, statistical differences (p ≤ 0.05) were found in almost all variables analyzed. The principal component analysis (PCA) showed that two principal components (PCs), described approximately 79% of the variation, and a positive correlation between the characteristics of freshly made tortilla moisture (FMTM), dough yield (DY), and nixtamal moisture (NM), as well as dough moisture (DM) and hot tortilla yield (HTY). Future studies on these and other native maize cultivars of western Mexico must be conducted to assess the physicochemical and phytochemical characteristics of maize grains that may be useful for food and pharmaceutical applications, contributing to the conservation, propagation, and use of natural and ancient resources.

Preliminary study of Nicuatole, a traditional endemic food based on Zea mays from the Central Valleys Region, Oaxaca, Mexico

“…The total dietary fiber in different varieties of corn is between 12 and 15% (Sheng, 2018;Ai, 2016). The ash content in the grain is approximately 1.3%, being the germ, which provides almost 78% of the minerals in the grain (Ramírez-Vega, 2022). The preferred corn for human consumption is white and smooth, although other types of corn are used in other areas of Mexico (Malvar-Pintos, 2006).…”