Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Evaluation of the Lime-Cooking and Tortilla Making Properties of Quality Protein Maize Hybrids Grown in Mexico

  • ORIGINAL PAPER
  • Published:
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Eleven experimental and three commercial white quality protein maize (QPM) hybrids and two regular endosperm controls were planted at Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico with the aim of comparing grain physical characteristics, protein quality, lime-cooking and tortilla making properties. All genotypes were planted under irrigation using a density of 80,000 plants/ha and fertilized with 250 kg N–60 P–60 K per hectare. When compared with the controls these QPM genotypes had lower test (77.4 vs. 76.5 kg/hL) and 1,000 kernel weights (327 vs. 307 g), softer endosperm texture (2.5 vs. 1.8 where 1 = soft, 2 intermediate and 3 hard endosperm), lower protein (10.0 vs. 8.0%), higher nixtamal water uptake after 30 min lime-cooking (50.0 vs. 53.1% moisture) and lower pericarp removal scores. The lower thousand-kernel weight and softer endosperm texture observed in the QPM genotypes lowered the optimum lime-cooking time as estimated with regression equations. Most QPM genotypes had higher amounts of lysine, tryptophan and albumins/globulins when compared with the controls. QPMs HEC 424973, HEC 774986 and HEC 734286 had the best grain traits for nixtamalization and therefore the best potential for industrial utilization. The commercial use of these QPM hybrids should benefit Mexicans who depend on tortillas as the main staple.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. FAO (2007) Food Agriculture Organization Statistics. Rome, Italy. http://faostat.fao.org/

  2. Serna-Saldivar SO (2004) Wrigley C, Walker C, Corke H (eds) Foods from Maize. In: Encyclopedia of grain science. 1st edn. Elsevier, Oxford, UK, pp 242–253

    Google Scholar 

  3. Mertz ET, Bates LS, Nelson OE (1964) Mutant gene that changes protein composition and increases lysine content of maize endosperm. Science 145:279–280

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Vasal SK (2000) High quality protein corn. In: Hallauer AR (ed) Specialty corns. 2nd edn. CRC, Boca Raton, FL, Ch. 4

    Google Scholar 

  5. Serna-Saldivar SO, Gomez MH, Rooney LW (1990) The chemistry, technology and nutritional value of alkaline-cooked corn products. In: Pomeranz Y (ed) Advances of cereal science and technology, Vol. 10. American Association of Cereal Chemists, St. Paul, MN, Ch. 4

    Google Scholar 

  6. Serna-Saldivar SO, Rooney LW, Greene LW (1991) Effects of lime treatment on the bioavailability of calcium in diets of tortillas and beans: rat growth and metabolic studies. Cereal Chem 68:565–570

    Google Scholar 

  7. Serna-Saldivar SO, Rooney LW, Greene LW (1992) Effects of lime treatment on the bioavailability of calcium in diets of tortillas and beans: bone and plasma composition of rats. Cereal Chem 69(1):78–81

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Amaya-Guerra C, Alanis-Guzman MG, Serna-Saldivar SO (2004) Effects of soybean fortification on protein quality of tortilla based diets from regular and quality protein maize. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 59(2):45–50

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Amaya-Guerra C, Serna-Saldivar SO, Alanis-Guzman MG (2006) Soybean fortification and enrichment of regular and quality protein maize tortillas affects brain development and maze performance of rats. Br J Nutr 96:161–168

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Serna-Saldivar SO, Knabe DA, Rooney LW, Tanksley TD Jr (1987) Effects of lime cooking on energy and protein digestibilities of maize and sorghum. Cereal Chem 64(4):247–252

    Google Scholar 

  11. Serna-Saldivar SO, Knabe DA, Rooney LW, Tanksley TD Jr, Sproule AM (1988) Nutritional value of sorghum and maize tortillas. J Cereal Sci 7:83–94

    Google Scholar 

  12. Sproule AM, Saldivar SO, Bockholt AJ, Rooney LW, Knabe DA (1988) Nutritional evaluation of tortillas and tortilla chips from quality protein maize. Cereal Foods World 33(2):233–236

    Google Scholar 

  13. Melesio CJL, Preciado-Ortiz RE, Terrón IAD, Vázquez CG, Herrera MP, Amaya CA et al (2008) Potencial productivo, propiedades físicas y valor proteínico nutrimental de híbridos de maíz de alta calidad proteínica sembrados en México. Fitotecnia Mex (submitted)

  14. American Association of Cereal Chemists (2000) Approved methods of the AACC, 10th edn. Association, St. Paul, MN, pp 69–124

    Google Scholar 

  15. Landry J, Moreaux T (1970) Heterogeneity of maize glutelins: selective extraction and amino acid composition of three isolated fractions. Bull Soc Chim Biol (Paris) 52:1021

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Hernandez HH, Bates LS (1969) A modified method for rapid tryptophan analysis of maize. In: international maize and wheat improvement center. CIMMYT Mexico, DF. Bulletin 13:1–7

    Google Scholar 

  17. Serna-Saldivar SO, Almeida-Dominguez HD, Rooney LW, Gómez MH, Bockholt AJ (1991) Method to evaluate ease of pericarp removal on lime-cooked corn kernels. Crop Sci 31:842–844

    Google Scholar 

  18. Serna-Saldivar SO, Gomez MH, Almeida-Dominguez HD, Islas-Rubio A, Rooney LW (1993) A method to evaluate the lime cooking properties of corn (Zea mays). Cereal Chem 70:762–764

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Rooney LW, Suhendro EL (2001) Food quality of corn. In: Lusas EW, Rooney LW (eds) Foods processing. Technomic, Lancaster, PA Ch. 3

    Google Scholar 

  20. Jackson DS, Rooney LW, Kunze OR, Waniska RD (1988) Alkaline processing properties of stress cracked and broken maize (Zea mays L.). Cereal Chem 65:133–137

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Pflugfelder RL, Waniska RD, Rooney LW (1988) Dry matter losses in commercial corn masa production. Cereal Chem 65:126–132

    Google Scholar 

  22. Sahai D, Mua JP, Surjewan I, Buendia MO, Rowe M, Jackson DS (2001) Alkaline processing (nixtamalization) of white Mexican corn hybrids for tortilla production: significance of corn physicochemical characteristics and process conditions. Cereal Chem 78(2):116–120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Martinez-Herrera ML, Lachance PA (1979) Corn (Zea mays) kernel hardness as an index of the alkaline cooking time for tortilla preparation. J Food Sci 44(2):377–380

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Paulis JW, James C, Wall JS (1969) Comparison of glutelin proteins in normal and high lysine corn endosperm. J Agric Food Chem 17:1301–1305

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Robutti JL, Hoseney RC, Deyoe CW (1974) Modified opaque-2 corn endosperms. I Protein distribution and amino acid composition. Cereal Chem 51:163–172

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Lawton JW, Wilson CM (2003) Proteins of the Kernel. In: White PJ, Johnson LA (eds) Corn chemistry and technology. 2nd edn. AACC, St. Paul, MN, Ch. 9

    Google Scholar 

  27. Sullivan JS, Knabe DA, Bockholt AJ, Gregg EJ (1989) Nutritional value of quality protein maize and food corn for starter and growth pigs. J Anim Sci 67:1285–1292

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Milan-Carrillo J, Gutierrez-Dorado R, Cuevas-Rodriguez EO, Garzon-Tiznado JA, Reyes-Moreno C (2004) Nixtamalized flour from quality protein maize (Zea mays L). Optimization of alkaline processing. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 59(1):35–44

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Milan-Carrillo J, Gutierrez-Dorado R, Perales-Sanchez JXK, Cuevas-Rodriguez EO, Ramirez Wong B, Garzon-Tiznado JA et al (2006) The optimization of the extrusion process when using maize flour with modified amino acid profile for making tortillas. Int J Food Sci Tech 41:727–737

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Graham GG, Lembcke J, Morales E (1990) Quality protein maize as the sole source of dietary protein and fat for rapidly growing children. Pediatrics 85:85–91

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Bressani R, Elias LG, Gomez-Brenes RA (1968) Protein quality of opaque-2 corn: evaluation in rats. J Nutr 97:173–180

    Google Scholar 

  32. Bressani R, Benavides V, Acevedo E, Ortiz MA (1990) Changes in selected nutrient contents and in protein quality of common and quality protein maize during rural tortilla preparation. Cereal Chem 67(6):515–518

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Serna-Saldivar SO, Gomez MH, Islas-Rubio AR, Bockholt AJ, Rooney LW (1992) The Alkaline processing properties of quality protein maize. In: Mertz ET (ed) Quality protein maize. AACC, St. Paul, MN, Ch. 16

    Google Scholar 

  34. Ortega EI, Villegas E, Vasal SK (1986) A comparative study of protein changes in normal and quality protein maize during tortilla making. Cereal Chem 63:446–451

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was sponsored by the Fondo Sectorial CONACyT-Guanajuato (GTO-2002-C01-6256) and the Research Chair CAT-005 of ITESM-Campus Monterrey.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biotecnología e Ingeniería de Alimentos, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501 Sur, CP 64849, Monterrey, México

    Sergio O. Serna-Saldivar

  2. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Pedro de Alba s/n, Cd. Universitaria, San Nicolas de los Garza, Nuevo León, México

    Carlos A. Amaya Guerra & Pedro Herrera Macias

  3. INIFAP-Campo Experimental Bajío, Km. 6.5 Carr. Celaya—San Miguel de Allende, CP 38010, Celaya, Guanajuato, México

    Jose L. Melesio Cuellar, Ricardo E. Preciado Ortiz, Arturo D. Terron Ibarra & Gricelda Vazquez Carrillo

Authors
  1. Sergio O. Serna-Saldivar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Carlos A. Amaya Guerra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Pedro Herrera Macias
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jose L. Melesio Cuellar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ricardo E. Preciado Ortiz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Arturo D. Terron Ibarra
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Gricelda Vazquez Carrillo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sergio O. Serna-Saldivar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Serna-Saldivar, S.O., Amaya Guerra, C.A., Herrera Macias, P. et al. Evaluation of the Lime-Cooking and Tortilla Making Properties of Quality Protein Maize Hybrids Grown in Mexico. Plant Foods Hum Nutr 63, 119–125 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-008-0080-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-008-0080-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation