Hybrid Variability and Effect of Growth Location on Corn Fiber Yields and Corn Fiber Oil Composition

The variability in commercial corn hybrids for corn fiber yields, amounts of extractable oil, and levels of individual and total phytosterol components in corn fiber oil was determined. Also, the effect of growth location on fiber yields, fiber oil content, and the levels of individual and total phytosterol compounds was determined. Significant variation was observed in the commercial hybrids for fiber yield (13.2–16.6%) and fiber oil yield (0.9–2.4%). No significant correlation was observed between fiber and oil yields. Significant variations in the commercial corn hybrids were also observed in the individual phytosterol compounds in corn fiber oil: 2.9–9.2% for ferulate phytosterol esters (FPE); 1.9–4.3% for free phytosterols (St); and 6.5–9.5% for phytosterol fatty acyl esters (St:E). Positive correlations were observed among the three phytosterol compounds in the corn fiber oil (R = 0.75 for FPE and St:E; 0.48 for St:E and St; and 0.68 for FPE and St). The effect of location on dependent variables was also significant. The same hybrids grown at different locations showed a variation (range) of 4.0–17.5% for FPE, 4.9–12.2% for St:E, and 1.95–4.45% for St. Relative ranking of hybrids with respect to phytosterol composition was consistent for almost all of the growth locations.     

Recovery of Fiber in the Corn Dry-Grind Ethanol Process: A Feedstock for Valuable Coproducts

A new process was developed to recover corn fiber from the mash before fermentation in dry-grind ethanol production. In this process, corn is soaked in water (no chemicals) for a short period of time and then degermed using conventional degermination mills. In the remaining slurry, corn coarse fiber is floated by increasing the density of the slurry and then separated using density differences. The fiber recovered is called quick fiber to distinguish it from the conventional wet-milled fiber. This study evaluated the percent of quick fiber recovery for a normal yellow dent and high oil corn hybrid. The quick fiber was analyzed for levels of corn fiber oil, levels of ferulate phytosterol esters (FPE) and other valuable phytosterol components in the oil and compared with conventional wet-milled corn coarse and fine fiber samples. Fiber samples were also analyzed and compared for yields of potentially valuable corn fiber gum (CFG, hemicellulose B). Comparisons were made between the quick fiber samples obtained with and without chemicals in the soakwater. An average quick fiber yield of 6–7% was recovered from the two hybrids and represented 46–60% of the total fiber (fine and coarse) that could be recovered by wet-milling these hybrids. Adding steep chemicals (SO₂ and lactic acid) to the soakwater increased the quick fiber yields, percent of FPE recoveries, and total percent of phytosterol components to levels either comparable to (for the dent corn hybrid) or higher than (for the high oil corn hybrid) those recovered from the total conventional wet-milled fiber samples. CFG yields in the quick fiber samples were comparable to those from the wet-milled fiber samples. CFG yields in the quick fiber samples were not significantly affected by the addition of chemicals (SO₂ and lactic acid) to the soakwater.     

Effect of Alternative Milling Techniques on the Yield and Composition of Corn Germ Oil and Corn Fiber Oil

The effects of alternative corn wet‐milling (intermittent milling and dynamic steeping (IMDS), gaseous SO₂ and alkali wet‐milling) and dry grind ethanol (quick germ and quick fiber with chemicals) production technologies were evaluated on the yield and phytosterol composition (ferulate phytosterol esters, free phytosterols, and fatty acyl phytosterol esters) of corn germ and fiber oil and compared with the conventional wet‐milling process. Small but statistically significant effects were observed on the yield and composition of corn germ and fiber oil with these alternative milling technologies. The results showed that the germ and fiber fractions from two of the alternative wet‐milling technologies (the gaseous SO₂ and the IMDS) had, for almost all of the individual phytosterol compounds, either comparable or signficantly higher yields compared with the conventional wet‐milling process. Also, both of the modified dry grind ethanol processes (the quick germ and quick fiber) with chemicals (SO₂ and lactic acid) can be used as a new source of corn germ and fiber and can produce oils with high yields of phytosterols. The alkali wet‐milling process showed significantly lower yields of phytosterols compounds in germ but showed significantly higher yield of free phytosterols, fatty acyl phytosterol esters and total phytosterols in the fiber fraction.     

Comparison of Yield and Composition of Oil Extracted from Corn Fiber and Corn Bran

We recently reported that corn fiber oil contains high levels of three potential cholesterol-lowering phytosterol components: ferulate-phytosterol esters (FPE) (3–6 wt%), free phytosterols (1–2 wt%), and phytosterol-fatty acyl esters (7–9 wt%). A previous study also indicated that corn bran oil contained less phytosterol components than corn fiber oil. The current study was undertaken to attempt to confirm this preliminary observation using more defined conditions. Accordingly, oil was extracted from corn fiber and corn bran prepared under controlled laboratory conditions, using the same sample of corn hybrid kernels for each, and using recognized bench-scale wet-milling, and dry-milling procedures, respectively. After extraction, the chemical composition of the phytosterol components in the oil were measured. This study confirmed our previous observation—that FPE levels were higher in corn fiber oil than in corn bran oil. During industrial wet-milling, almost all of the FPE are recovered in the fiber fraction (which contains both fine and coarse fiber). During laboratory-scale wet-milling, ≈60–70% of the FPE are recovered in the coarse fiber (pericarp) and 30–40% are recovered in the fine fiber. During laboratory-scale dry-milling, <20% of the FPE are recovered in the bran (pericarp), and the rest in the grits. The recoveries of the other two phytosterol components (free phytosterols and phytosterol-fatty acyl esters) revealed a more complex distribution, with significant levels found in several of the dry- and wet-milled products.     

Pretreatment of Wet‐Milled Corn Fiber to Improve Recovery of Corn Fiber Oil and Phytosterols

The phytosterol‐containing oil in the corn fiber (corn fiber oil) has potential use as a natural low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) lowering nutraceutical but its low concentration (1–3%) makes it difficult and expensive to extract. Pretreatment of corn fiber with dilute acid or glucosidases removed nonlipid components of fiber, producing oil‐enriched fractions that should be more amenable to efficient and inexpensive oil extraction. Acid, as well as enzymes, significantly increased the content of corn fiber oil and its phytosterol compounds by hydrolyzing (and removing) the starch and nonstarch (cell wall) polysaccharides from the wet‐milled corn fiber. Dual treatment of the fiber with acid and enzyme greatly increased the concentrations of corn fiber oil and its phytosterol components, compared with acid or enzyme treatments alone. Depending on the treatment, the oil concentration in the residual solids increased from 0.3 to 10.8% (21–771% increase in conc.) and the total phytosterol concentration increased from 19.8 to 1256.2 mg/g of fiber (11–710% increase in conc.) compared with untreated fiber.     

Effect of Steeping with Sulfite Salts and Adjunct Acids on Corn Wet‐Milling Yields and Starch Properties

Two corn hybrids (3394 and 33R87) were steeped with three sulfite salts and five acids to test the effect of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) source and acid sources on wet‐milling yields and starch properties. Milling yields from each treatment were compared with a control sample that was steeped with 2,000 ppm of SO₂ (using sodium metabisulfite) and 0.55% lactic acid. Sulfur dioxide sources were potassium sulfite, sodium sulfite, and ammonium sulfite; acids were acetic, hydrochloric, oxalic, phosphoric, and sulfuric. Starch yields were affected by the SO₂ source and steep acids but the effects were hybrid‐dependent. Different steep acids gave different starch yields when wet milled at the same pH. Among the acids tested, weak acids (lactic and acetic) tended to give higher starch yields compared with strong acids (hydrochloric, sulfuric, phosphoric, and oxalic). Some differences were observed with different sulfite salts and acids on starch pasting properties; however, there were no clear trends.     

Yield and Phytosterol Composition of Oil Extracted from Grain Sorghum and Its Wet‐Milled Fractions

Corn fiber contains an oil with high levels of three potential cholesterol‐lowering phytosterol compounds. Little information is available about the levels and types of phytosterols in sorghum. In this study, phytosterols were evaluated in grain sorhgum and its wet‐milled fractions and were compared with the phytosterols in corn. The study showed that sorghum kernels can provide a significant source of two phytosterol classes, free phytosterols (St) and fatty acyl phytosterol esters (St:E). Most of these phytosterols are concentrated in the wet‐milled fiber fraction followed by the germ fraction. In addition to phytosterols, other lipid classes such as wax esters and an aldehyde (50% C28 and 50% C30) are also present in the sorghum oil. Comparison of sorghum and corn kernels show that corn has 72–93% more phytosterols than sorghum.     

Recovery of Starch and Protein from Wet-Milled Corn Fiber

Physical and chemical methods were used to recover starch and protein from wet-milled corn fiber. A single milling of the fiber produced an 18% yield of mill starch. By separating the mill starch with a starch table, 68% of this material was recovered as starch with a protein contamination of 0.66%. Milling increased fine fiber from 4.5% in the starting material to 11.5% after a single grind. Successive additional milling passes modestly increased the mill starch and fine fiber yields with a corresponding decrease in the coarse fiber yield. Pretreatment with combinations of lactic and sulfurous acids had only a small effect on the distribution and composition of the recovered fractions.     

Hybrid-Dependent Effect of Lactic Acid on Corn Starch Yields

The effect of lactic acid on starch yields of different corn hybrids was determined by wet-milling 18 commercial corn hybrids at three levels of lactic acid. All 18 hybrid samples tested had higher starch yields when lactic acid was added to the steep solution, although the magnitude of the increased starch yields varied between 2.9 and 12.0%. The optimal lactic acid concentration for maximum starch recovery was found to be between 0.55 and 1.67% lactic acid, by wet-milling nine of the same 18 corn hybrids with seven levels of added lactic acid. Between 0.83 and 1.67% lactic acid, the starch yields of eight of the nine hybrids were constant (within ±0.5%). Results showed that the average starch yield across all hybrids decreased with a lactic acid concentration <0.55% and a lactic acid concentration >1.67%.     

Effect of Corn Milling Practices on Aleurone Layer Cells and Their Unique Phytosterols

Coarse and fine fiber fractions obtained from the corn wet‐milling processes, with and without steeping chemicals (SO₂ and lactic acid), were evaluated microscopically for structure and analytically for recovery of phytosterol compounds from the fiber oil. Microscopic results showed that wet milling, with and without chemicals during steeping, changed the line of fracture between pericarp and endosperm and therefore affected the recovery of the aleurone layer in coarse (pericarp) and fine (endosperm cellular structure) fiber. Analytical results showed that most of the phytosterols and mainly phytostanols in corn fiber are contributed by the aleurone layer. Hand‐dissection studies were performed to separate the two layers that comprise the wet‐milled coarse fiber, the aleurone, and pericarp layer. Analyses revealed that the aleurone contained 8× more phytosterols than the pericarp.     

Effects of Amylose,Corn Protein,and Corn Fiber Contents on Production of Ethanol from Starch‐Rich Media

The effects of amylose, protein, and fiber contents on ethanol yields were evaluated using artificially formulated media made from commercial corn starches with different contents of amylose, corn protein, and corn fiber, as well as media made from different cereal sources including corn, sorghum, and wheat with different amylose contents. Second‐order response‐surface regression models were used to study the effects and interactions of amylose, protein, and fiber contents on ethanol yield and conversion efficiency. The results showed that the amylose content of starches had a significant (P < 0.001) effect on ethanol conversion efficiency. No significant effect of protein content on ethanol production was observed. Fiber did not show a significant effect on ethanol fermentation either. Conversion efficiencies increased as the amylose content decreased, especially when the amylose content was >35%. The reduced quadratic model fits the conversion efficiency data better than the full quadratic model does. Fermentation tests on mashes made from corn, sorghum, and wheat samples with different amylose contents confirmed the adverse effect of amylose content on fermentation efficiency. High‐temperature cooking with agitation significantly increased the conversion efficiencies on mashes made from high‐amylose (35–70%) ground corn and starches. A cooking temperature of ≥160°C was needed on high‐amylose corn and starches to obtain a conversion efficiency equal to that of normal corn and starch.     

Phytosterol and tocopherol components in extracts of corn distiller's dried grain

As the ethanol industry continues to grow, it will become very important to develop value-added markets for its coproducts in order for the industry to remain profitable. Corn distiller's dried grain (DDG) is a major coproduct of ethanol fermentation from corn processed by dry-milling and is primarily sold as livestock feed. The objective of this research was to determine if valuable phytochemicals found in corn oil and corn fiber oil, such as phytosterols and their saturated equivalents, phytostanols, ferulate phytosterol esters (FPE), tocopherols, and tocotrienols, are retained in DDG. Hexane and supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) extracts of DDG were similar in their concentrations of total phytosterols (15.8-17.3 mg/g of extract), FPE (3.75-3.99 mg/g of extract), and tocols (1.7-1.8 mg/g of extract). Ethanol extracts were slightly lower in concentration of phytosterols (8.9-11.4 mg/g of extract), FPE (1.62-1.98 mg/g of extract), and tocols (0.73-0.76 mg/g of extract).     

Comparison of Laboratory and Pilot-Plant Corn Wet-Milling Procedures

One waxy and three regular yellow dent corn hybrids were wet milled by using two scales of laboratory procedures (modified 100-g and 1-kg) and a pilot-plant procedure (10-kg). The modified 100-g and 1-kg laboratory procedures gave similar yields of wet-milling fractions. Starch yields and recoveries were significantly lower for the pilot-plant procedure, whereas gluten and fiber yields were greater because of their high contents of unrecovered starch. Protein contents of the starches obtained by all three procedures were within commercially acceptable limits (<0.50% db for normal dent corn and <0.30% for waxy corn). Rankings for starch yields and starch recoveries for the four hybrids, having very different physical and compositional properties, were the same for all three procedures. The harder the grain, the lower the yield and recovery of starch. Least significant differences (P < 0.05) for starch yield were 0.8% for the modified 100-g procedure, 1.2% for the 1-kg procedure, and 2.0% for the pilot-plant procedure.     

Laboratory Measurement of Yield and Composition of Dry‐Milled Corn Fractions Using a Shortened,Single‐Stage Tempering Procedure

The objective was to describe a laboratory‐scale dry‐milling procedure that used single‐stage tempering and determine the effect of hybrid on yields and fraction compositions in milled corn. Samples of 11 commercially available hybrids were processed through a laboratory dry‐milling procedure that used 1 kg samples of corn to produce milling fractions of large grits, small grits, fines, germ, and pericarp. Compositions of milling fractions (protein, neutral detergent fiber, ash, and crude fat) were determined. The procedure used a single‐stage tempering step that increased corn moisture from 15 to 23.5% wb during an 18‐min tempering period. Germ were separated from endosperm particles using a roller mill followed by screening over a sieve with 1.68‐mm openings. Coefficients of variability were small, indicating acceptable repeatability. Overall yield means were 39.2, 25.3, 13.8, 78.2, 14.3, and 6.8 g/100 g (db) for large grits, small grits, fines, total endosperm, germ, and pericarp, respectively. There were effects due to hybrid (P < 0.05) on fraction yields and compositions of milling fractions. Correlations (r) among endosperm fractions (large grits, small grits, and fines) ranged from 0.54 to |–0.92|. Correlations among endosperm fractions and germ and pericarp were <0.68. The developed dry‐milling method estimated milling yields among hybrids with low standard deviations relative to the means and should be a useful tool for research and industry in measuring dry‐milling characteristics.     

Isolation and Characterization of Cellulose/Arabinoxylan Residual Mixtures from Corn Fiber Gum Processes

White, fluffy cellulose/arabinoxylan mixtures (CAX) were generated from the solid residues remaining after corn fiber gum (CFG) production. Most CAX were produced using variations of a process in which a single alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) step was used for delignification and for CFG (arabinoxylan) extraction. The optimal ratio of H₂O₂ to corn fiber to water was 0.1:1:20. Holding this ratio constant, time and temperature conditions were systematically varied, and yields of CAX and CFG determined. Parallel processes were conducted without H₂O₂ to determine its effect on CAX and CFG yield. CAX prepared under identical conditions but without H₂O₂ retained nearly twice the levels of CFG sugars, as revealed from L‐arabinose, D‐xylose, and D,L‐galactose levels. Even the CAX prepared under extreme AHP conditions (1 hr, 100°C), however, contained 32.9% of these CFG sugars. This CAX was obtained in a 25.1% yield, whereas those produced under less vigorous conditions were obtained in higher yields, because they retained more CFG. CAX prepared in the presence of H₂O₂ hydrated very effectively, as indicated by their high swollen volumes and water absorbance values. This suggests potential food applications for CAX as a bulking agent. In addition, the open structure of the CAX matrix would render these residues suitable for chemical derivatization and enzymatic saccharification.     

Wet-Milling Characteristics of Selected Yellow Dent Corn Hybrids as Influenced by Storage Conditions

Three yellow dent corn hybrids (FR1064×LH59, FR600×FR1087, and FR618×LH123HT) from the 1994 crop, one hybrid (FR1064×LH59) from the 1995 crop, and two hybrids (FR1064×LH59 and FR618×LH123HT) from the 1996 crop were used to study the effect of storage time and storage temperature on starch yields. Samples of all of the corn hybrids were stored under one of two conditions: in a 4°C cold room or under a shed exposed to ambient conditions. The hybrids from the 1994, 1995, and 1996 crops were stored for up to 24, 12, and 3 months, respectively. No significant differences were found between starch yields of the hybrids with respect to storage time. However, there was a significant difference in hybrids from the 1994 samples. Starch yields of two of the three corn hybrids (from the 1994 crop) stored in the 4°C cold room were higher when compared to the starch yields of the same hybrids stored at ambient conditions.     

Comparison of Alkali and Conventional Corn Wet-Milling: 1-kg Procedures

An alkali corn wet-milling process was developed to evaluate the process as a method to produce high purity corn starch and coproducts with added value. Using a single hybrid (R1064 × LH59), the effects of alkali concentration (0.18–0.82% NaOH), time (29–61 min), and temperature (36–75°C) were investigated. Starch yield was not affected by steep time or temperature. Starch yield was optimal at 65.2% using 0.5% alkali. Increasing the concentration of alkali to 0.82% or decreasing it to 0.18% caused a decrease in starch yield of 8–10 percentage points. Other wet-milling products (fiber, germ, and gluten) also were affected. Steep conditions of 0.5% NaOH, 60 min, and 45°C gave optimal starch yield. Comparisons between alkali and sulfur dioxide wet-milling processes, using 1-kg sample size, were performed on 10 commercial yellow dent corn hybrids. The alkali process averaged 1.7 percentage points more starch than the sulfur dioxide process. Each hybrid had a higher starch yield when wet-milled with the alkali method. Alkali wet-milling produced pure corn starch with <0.30% protein (db).     

Effect of heat pretreatment on the yield and composition of oil extracted from corn fiber.

Previously, hexane extraction of corn fiber was reported to produce a unique and potentially valuable oil that contained high levels of several phytosterols (which have been noted for their cholesterol-lowering properties). Current studies revealed that heat treatment (over the range of 100-175 degrees C) of corn fiber in either a convection oven or a vacuum oven caused only a modest reduction in the levels of the phytosterol components. However, these same heat pretreatments caused a considerable increase (up to 10-fold) in the levels (increasing from 0.34 wt % to a maximum of 3.64 wt % gamma-tocopherol in the oil) and yields (increasing from 5.4 mg of gamma-tocopherol/100 g of corn fiber to a maximum of 52.1 mg of gamma-tocopherol/100 g of corn fiber) of gamma-tocopherol in corn fiber oil. The main differences between the convection oven and vacuum oven pretreatments were associated with the disappearance of free fatty acids and free phytosterols at the higher temperature pretreatments in the vacuum oven, probably due to the lower boiling points of these lipids. Microwave pretreatment was also effective but caused a much smaller increase in the levels of gamma-tocopherol.     

Development of an Ethanol Yield Procedure for Dry‐Grind Corn Processing

In 2008, the United States produced ethanol at a rate of 39.5 billion L/year; an additional 8.5 billion L/year capacity was under construction. Kernel composition and physical properties are not correlated with ethanol yield. A procedure that measured the potential of hybrids to produce ethanol would benefit corn seed companies, corn producers, and ethanol processors. The objective was to develop a laboratory procedure to measure ethanol yield from corn samples and evaluate the developed procedure for accuracy and precision. To determine parameters for routine analyses, effects of mill type, dry solids, and yeast addition were investigated separately followed by effects of fermentation time (T_f), glucoamylase dose, and yeast addition. Measurement of ethanol using HPLC and gravimetric (change in weight due to CO₂ loss) methods were compared. Using the procedure developed, ethanol yields for five diverse hybrids (dent, waxy, white, high oil, and high amylose) were measured. Effects of mill type, dry solids, T_f, glucoamylase dose, and yeast addition were significant (P < 0.05). The gravimetric method estimated higher yields (428 ± 10 L/tonne) than HPLC (405 ± 15 L/tonne) and had a higher level of precision. Both methods had coefficients of variations of <4% and gave similar conclusions. In the final procedure, we used corn (25 g/batch) liquefied with α‐amylase (60 min at 90°C) in 75 mL of distilled water. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation was used (64 hr at 32°C) with glucoamylase and yeast. Gravimetric and HPLC methods measured differences in ethanol yield for the five hybrids (158–435 L/tonne). The method is suitable for routine testing of ethanol yield potential and as a reference method for verifying more rapid measurement techniques.     

高油玉米亲本遗传距离与杂种表现的相关性及分子选配的可行性

以BHO、ASK、SYNDO、RYD等4个高油群体20个高油玉米自交系和5个普通玉米(ZeamaysL.)自交系的100个杂交组合为材料,从亲本分子选配角度对玉米亲本遗传距离与杂交种产量性状的相关性进行了研究。结果表明,SSR遗传距离与F1组合的产量之间没有显著相关性,同一群体衍生系的杂交组合也表现类似趋势,表明既使是共同种质背景的高油自交系,SSR遗传距离也不能直接用于预测杂交种产量表现。但亲本分子遗传距离与杂交种在个别产量构成性状上存在一定相关性,表明分子标记有可能在个别性状上为亲本的分子选配提供有价值的参考信息。