THE INFLUENCE OF CULINARY PROCESSING ON THE CONTENT OF SOME SECONDARY METABOLITES IN FLINT CORN SEEDS

Abstract

The influence of culinary processing on the content of phenolic and phytic acid in flint corn seeds, belonging to ten Romanian local populations, was the purpose of this paper. The biological material, used in experiments, was represented by flint corn seeds (Zea mays L. var. indurata) belonging to ten Romanian local populations. There were conducted three culinary processing of seeds (boiling, steaming and roasting,) followed by the determination of total phenolic content and phytic acid in thermally processed grains and the water used. The culinary processing of corn seed samples has significantly influenced the seeds’ content in phenols and the phytic acid. Thus, both the boiling and the steaming process led to the decrease of phenolic compounds and of the phytic acid in corn seeds, through thermal destruction (more) and through releasing into used waters (less), which could be the sources of such metabolites. The roasting process has generally led to significant increase of phenolic compounds, and to decrease of phytic acid.