The Nutritional Content of Five Southwestern US Indigenous Maize (Zea MaysL.) Landraces of Varying Endosperm Type

Sarah E Oas,Karen R Adams

doi:10.1017/aaq.2021.131

Abstract

Any relative nutritional differences among the diverse maize (Zea maysL.) landraces traditionally maintained in the Greater Southwest are little understood. In this article, we investigate a range of nutritional traits of five indigenous maize landraces in the US Southwest based on different kernel endosperm types: pop, flour, flint, dent, and sweet. We present macronutrient and micronutrient values for accessions of each landrace grown in the same environmental grow-out experiment. Macronutrient values vary considerably across these endosperm accessions. Sweet and flour maize had higher values of fat and protein, whereas dent had the highest carbohydrate content. Sweet and flour maize were comparatively the best sources of micronutrients. Sweet maize yielded the highest values of potassium, thiamin, and magnesium, and flour kernels had the highest riboflavin and niacin content. These results indicate that the maintenance of diverse maize landraces had nutritional as well as ecological, symbolic, and culinary value in both the past and today. Compared to modern commercial maize standards, traditional southwestern maize landraces had a somewhat higher caloric value, many had higher vitamin and mineral content, and all accessions but dent displayed higher protein values. This suggests that southwestern maize-focused diets that included diverse landraces may have been more nutritious than previously understood.

Highlights

Any relative nutritional differences among the diverse maize (Zea mays L.) landraces traditionally maintained in the Greater Southwest are little understood
Note: Bold indicates that a serving provides 20% or more of the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI); shaded values indicate that a serving provides 10% or more recommended daily intake (RNI). aMacronutrient values were reported by the Food Product and Safety Lab at the University of Arizona to the nearest whole gram. bUSDA Standard (US Department of Agriculture 2019)
We have reviewed the differences in the nutritional composition of maize by comparing across the five traditionally recognized endosperm types, and we have discussed the importance of considering the biological and environmental and the cultural factors that heavily influence diets consisting largely of maize

Summary

Introduction

Any relative nutritional differences among the diverse maize (Zea mays L.) landraces traditionally maintained in the Greater Southwest are little understood. Sweet maize yielded the highest values of potassium, thiamin, and magnesium, and flour kernels had the highest riboflavin and niacin content These results indicate that the maintenance of diverse maize landraces had nutritional as well as ecological, symbolic, and culinary value in both the past and today. Compared to modern commercial maize standards, traditional southwestern maize landraces had a somewhat higher caloric value, many had higher vitamin and mineral content, and all accessions but dent displayed higher protein values. This suggests that southwestern maize-focused diets that included diverse landraces may have been more nutritious than previously understood. This Mesoamerican crop, commonly referred to as “corn”—a generic

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Discussion

Conclusion