Effects of irradiation on the quality of fresh waxy corn

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of different irradiation doses on the physicochemical properties, sensory indexes, the total bacterial count in fresh waxy corn, and the optimum irradiation dose range for fresh waxy corn. The whole ear of fresh waxy corn was irradiated with the irradiation doses of 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 kGy, and the changes in the contents of moisture, reducing sugar, total sugar, starch, total dietary fiber, ash, crude fat, and protein, as well as the changes in color, odor, taste, and the total bacterial count of fresh waxy corn before and after irradiation were compared. The results showed that the contents of moisture and total dietary fiber in the irradiated fresh waxy corn showed no significant changes (P ≥ 0.05). On the contrary, the contents of reducing sugar and protein in the fresh waxy corn with irradiation treatment increased at certain doses, with a maximum increase of 95.95% and 13.60%, respectively. Similarly, the contents of total sugar, starch, and ash decreased significantly (P < 0.05) by 29.22%, 20.23%, and 20.60%, respectively. The irradiation treatment could maintain the brightness of fresh waxy corn and improve its sensory attributes by interfering with the contents of flavor substances, such as alkanes, alcohols, and some aromatic compounds in fresh waxy corn. The total bacterial count of irradiated fresh waxy corn decreased significantly (P < 0.05) to one order of magnitude. Overall, the experimental results suggest that irradiation is helpful for improving the quality and extending the shelf life of fresh waxy corn.