Abstract
Currently, bee-gathered pollen (bee pollen) is commonly used worldwide as a dietary supplement and is recognized for its curative properties. Floral pollen is also important but is less recognized due to a lack of investigation. This study aims to determine the morphological characteristics and nutritional and phytochemical properties of floral maize pollen. Fresh pollen grains harvested from a farm of maize plants are yellow in colour and spheroid in shape. They change to amber and indented prismatic solid shapes when dehydrated. The main composition of floral maize pollen is carbohydrates (44.30±3.73%), followed by moisture (23.38±5.73%), crude proteins (17.16±3.13%), crude fibres (9.56±0.92%), and ash (4.98±0.11%), while the lowest content is observed for crude fats (0.62±0.06%). The predominant mineral is potassium (768.50±11.40 mg 100 g-1), followed by sodium (695.10±9.70 mg 100 g-1), calcium (147.20±12.60 mg 100 g-1), and magnesium (97.30±2.9 mg 100 g-1). The microelements (with average values) consist of iron (49.50±3.30 mg 100 g-1) and zinc (30.00±3.70 mg 100 g-1). Excellent phytochemical properties add value to floral maize pollen. Maize pollen contains a high total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) of 783.02 mg GAE 100 g-1 and 1706.83 mg QE 100 g-1, respectively, and possesses strong antioxidant activity of 10.54 mg mL-1. Maize floral pollen and derived products can serve as future food resources for human consumption and as a source of functional and bioactive compounds in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.
Highlights
Maize or corn (Zea mays L.) is a plant belonging to the Poaceae family
The release of pollen grains can start from sunrise until noon depending on the plant’s temperature, humidity and genetic constitution [22]
Studies by Kaefer et al [22] stated that the best results from viable pollen grains were obtained in the morning and that ambient temperature and relative humidity were the main factors influencing pollen viability rather than the time of day
Summary
Maize or corn (Zea mays L.) is a plant belonging to the Poaceae family. It is a monoecious and annual plant grown widely all over the world. There are different types of maize, e.g., feed corn Indenata), flint corn (Zea mays var indurata) and sweetcorn All parts of maize plants are useful, such as for food and feed for humans and livestock, respectively. Maize cobs provide a soft-grit abrasive and furfural.
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