Corn Germ Oil Research Articles

Comparison of deodorized post-fermentation corn oil to commercial corn germ oil.

Due to the distinct production method, post-fermentation corn oil is considered a non-standard corn oil. This study investigates deodorisation as the last refining step of the process. The resulting deodorised post-fermentation oil was tested and its quality was compared with commercially available corn oils. In was found that the quality of the obtained oil was similar to corn germ oil in terms of such parameters as iodine value, acid value and oxidative stability. Interestingly, despite the high-temperature of the refining process, it retained a significant content of bioactive compounds such as phytosterols (above 900 mg/100g). Sensory analysis revealed that, the oil possessed an acceptable flavour and aroma, suggesting its potential as an alternative raw material for the production of edible oil in the future.

Photothermal, superhydrophobic, conductive, and anti-UV cotton fabric loaded with polydimethylsiloxane-encapsulated copper sulfide nanoflowers

Multifunctional textiles have attracted widespread attention with the improvement of awareness of health. Especially, the fluorine-free superhydrophobic and conductive cellulose fiber-based fabrics have received intensive interest due to their broad and high-value applications. Herein, the copper sulfide nanoflowers were in-situ deposited on cotton fabric followed by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) treatment for encapsulating CuS nanoflowers and obtaining superhydrophobicity, recorded as Cot@PTA@CuS@PDMS. Cot@PTA@CuS@PDMS possesses superhydrophobicity with contact angles of 153.0 ± 0.4°, photothermal effect, excellent UV resistance, good conductivity, and anti-fouling. Interestingly, the resistance of Cot@PTA@CuS@PDMS is significantly reduced from 856.4 to 393.1 Ω under simulated sunlight irradiation with 250 mW/cm2. Notably, the resistance can be slightly recovered after shutting off simulated sunlight. Besides, Cot@PTA@CuS@PDMS has efficient oil-water separation efficiency for corn germ oil and castor oil, respectively. Briefly, this work provides a novel, facile, and promising strategy to fabricate multifunctional fiber-based textiles with the reversible change of resistance under simulated sunlight irradiation, inspiring more scholars to control the resistance change of textiles by light irradiation.

Extraction of oil from mishes using ethanol as an alternative solvent

Between the various types of vegetable oils consumed, the corn germ oil stands out, is characterized by benefits to human health and being considered raw material in Angola, due to the climatic characteristics of these regions. It is in this context that the present work was developed, which aims to implement methodologies to extract corn germ oil, having hydrated ethanol as solvent. The procedure consisted of the use of Soxhlet, as extractor, hydrated ethanol, with an operating temperature of 80ºC, when a vapor current of the solvent that rises to the condenser and the condensate descends to the carthusian with the corn germ where it is accumulated, extracts the oil, and returns to the base of this equipment. The procedure used showed high operational performance and extraction capacity was comparable to the data cited in the literature, based on the use of conventional solvents. The procedure resulted in 7 ml (6.3g) of corn oil with a specific mass of 900 kg/m3 and a refractive index of 1.469. These results show that the use of ethanol as a solvent provides the identification of alternative solvents, derived from biomass processing, with similar efficiency or better than the efficiency obtained when using conventional solvents.

Determination of some edible oils adulteration with paraffin oil using infrared spectroscopy

The spectroscopy of molecular vibrations using mid-infrared or near-infrared techniques was used more and more to characterize different compounds, including edible oil, in order to monitor any changes and to detect fraudulent modifications. This article presents a new method for quantitative adulteration of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or corn germ oil (CGO) with a mineral oil, such as paraffin oil (PO). A Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometric method, using ATR spectra, was developed for the rapid, direct measurement of edible oils adulteration. The results indicate the efficiency of the proposed method for the detection of paraffin oil in adulteration of EVOO and CGO with RSD (< 3.0%). Graphical abstract:

A simple and rapid homogeneous fluorescence polarization immunoassay for rapid identification of gutter cooking oil by detecting capsaicinoids.

In order to address the widespread concerns with food safety such as adulteration and forgery in the edible oil field, this study developed a fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) based on a monoclonal antibody in a homogeneous solution system for determination of capsaicinoids in gutter cooking oil by using chemically stable capsaicinoids as an adulteration marker. The prepared fluoresceinthiocarbamyl ethylenediamine (EDF) was coupled with capsaicinoid hapten C, and the synthesized tracer was purified by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and showed good binding to the monoclonal antibody CPC Ab-D8. The effects of concentration of tracer and recognition components, type and pH of buffer and incubation time on the performance of FPIA were studied. The linear range (IC20 to IC80) was 3.97-97.99 ng/mL, and the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 19.73 ng/mL, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 1.56 ng/mL. The recovery rates of corn germ oil, soybean oil and peanut blend oil were in the range of 94.7-132.3%. The experimental results showed that the fluorescence polarization detection system could realize the rapid detection of capsaicinoids, and had the potential to realize on-site identification of gutter cooking oil. As a universal monoclonal antibody, CPC Ab-D8 can also specifically identify capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin, so the proposed method can be used to quickly monitor for the presence of gutter cooking oil in normal cooking oil.

Analysis of Furan in Red Pepper Powder Treated by Three Methods-Boiling, Roasting, and Frying.

In this study, furan analysis was conducted on dried red pepper powder treated by three cooking methods (boiling, roasting, and frying). A total of 144 samples were prepared and their furan levels were analysed using automated solid-phase micro-extraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The furan concentration in boiled soup ranged from 1.26 to 4.65 ng/g, and from 7.37 to 27.68 ng/g for boiled red pepper samples. For the roasting method, a furan concentration between 6.66 and 761.37 ng/g was detected. For the frying method, the furan level of edible oils ranged from 3.93 to 125.88 ng/g, and a concentration ranging from 4.88 to 234.52 ng/g was detected for the fried red pepper samples. The cooking method using edible oil obtained a higher furan concentration than the water-based method. Samples using corn germ oil (linoleic acid-rich oil) obtained the highest furan concentration among the four edible oils. In all cooking methods, the higher the heating temperature and time, the higher the furan concentration detected. A kinetic study was conducted using the roasting model system and the apparent activation energy was 60.5 kJ/mol. The results of this study could be useful as a database for furan concentration in dried red pepper powder according to various cooking methods.

The Significance of the Hungarian Wheat Production in Relation to the Common Agricultural Policy

Maize is one of the major crops of Hungary. This can be used in various ways, most notably for human consumption, feeding purpose, and ethanol production that is used as a fuel additive. The major indicator of its market competitiveness is the maize yield which varied over the years. This was mostly caused by the weather conditions. The use of more resistant maize varieties, as well as the proper amount of fertilizer (especially nitrogen and potassium as active ingredients), would help to stabilize yields. On the sales side, the price determines the efficiency of production. The Common Agricultural Policy plays a key role in this regard as direct payments contributed to the gross revenue of the crop producers by 57.2% on average in Hungary. The article aims to provide a detailed overview of these issues from 2010 to 2020. Based on our results, we formulated policy recommendations. Regarding maize trade, processing and, therefore, a higher share of value-added products would be essential (canned products, gluten, corn germ oil, gluten) on the export side. This would further increase Hungary’s agri-food trade surplus as well as create new jobs in this sector. However, the exceptional (roughly 47%) price increase in 2021 may not be motivating enough for the different market players in the supply chain.

Corn germ oil extraction with compressed propane compared with Soxhlet extraction

Corn germ oil extraction with compressed propane compared with Soxhlet extraction

Policosanol alleviates hepatic lipid accumulation by regulating bile acids metabolism in C57BL6/mice through AMPK-FXR-TGR5 cross-talk.

Policosanol exhibits a lipid accumulation alleviating effect, but the underlying mechanisms remains unclear. Bile acids are a significant factor in regulating cholesterol and lipid metabolism homeostasis in mammals. This study was aimed to elucidate the alleviating effect and underlying mechanisms of policosanol on hepatic lipid accumulation through bile acid (BA) metabolism. Policosanol supplementation significantly reduced hepatic triglycerides (19.29%), cholesterol (30.38%) in high fat diet (HFD) induced obese mice (P<0.05). Furthermore, compared with the control group, HFD decreased the levels of total BAs (TBAs, 37.67%) and cholic acid (CA, 62.74%) in the serum of mice (P<0.05). Meanwhile, compared to HFD group, policosanol also increased the level of secondary BAs (SBAs) and muricholic acids (MCAs, P<0.05). qRT-PCR combined with protein level analysis revealed that policosanol significantly decreased sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP-1c) and CD36, and increased the expression level of cytochrome P450 family 7 subfamily A member 1 (CYP7A1) and cytochrome P450 Family 27 Subfamily A Member 1 (CYP27A1, P<0.05). Additionally, in the liver, policosanol was found downregulated the expression of farnesoid X receptor (FXR)-small heterodimer partner (SHP), and activate the Takeda G-coupled protein receptor 5 (TGR5)-adenosine-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (APMK) signaling pathway (P<0.05). Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR)-α, hormone sensitive lipase (HSL), and carnitine palmitoyltransferase (CPT)-1α also significantly increased in HP group (P<0.05). The aforementioned results reveal that the potential mechanism of policosanol in alleviating liver lipid accumulation is to promote BA synthesis and lipolysis through regulating the cross-talk of the AMPK-FXR-TGR5. New insight for the application of policosanol as an anti-fatty liver functional food ingredient or supplement is also provided. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Policosanol is an important active component of cereals and insect waxes (15-80%). However, almost no policosanol in refined foods such as clear corn germ oil and wheat flour. This study showed that oral administration of policosanol can significantly reduce triglyceride and cholesterol levels in the liver through affecting AMPK-TGR5-FXR cross-talk, whereas no significant toxicological effect is reported in human and mouse models. This study may provide theoretical support for the theory of dietary structure and the development of dietary supplements to improve lipid metabolism targeting the "bile acid-AMPK-TGR5" pathway.

Comparative study of the micro-rheological properties and microstructure of edible oil gels prepared by amino acid gelator

In the paper, comparative study of the micro-rheological properties and microstructure of edible oil gels prepared by amino acid gelator of N-lauroyl-L-alanine (NLLA) and N-lauroyl-L-alanine dodecylamide (NLLAD). The rheological properties and thermal stability of the edible oil gels were studied by micro-rheology method, and the crystallization of the gel formation process were explored systematically by optical microscopy. Results showed that the rheological properties of the edible oil gels prepared by NLLAD and NLLA considerably changed with the increase in gelator mass concentration at room temperature. At most mass concentrations of the gelator, the four micro-rheological indices of the gel prepared by NLLAD were smaller than those of the gel prepared by NLLA. During the heating process, when the gel prepared by NLLAD reached a stable elastic factor (EI), its equilibrium time and temperature were higher than those of the gel prepared by NLLA. During the cooling process, the time and temperature of the EI that began to rise were less than those of the gel prepared by NLLA. The elasticity, viscosity, and thermal stability of the four edible oil gels were in the following sequence: soybean oil > corn germ oil > olive oil > sesame oil. Microstructures showed that the gel crystallizations differed among different vegetable oils with the two gelators. The crystallization units of soybean oil gel were the smallest, the corn oil gel was irregular fiber, and the crystallization of olive oil and sesame oil was flower like. Moreover, the order of crystallization unit size was opposite to that of the elasticity properties of micro-rheology. The study can provide theoretical data for the viscoelastic and microstructure applications of vegetable oil gels prepared by amino acid gelator.

Kinetic of Forced Oxidation of Grape Seeds, Walnuts and Corn Germs Oils in the Presence of Antioxidants

The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of the use of some antioxidants-α-tocopherol, n-octyl gallate, L-ascorbic acid 6-palmitate and matcha extract (green tea) as inhibitors of grape seeds, walnuts and corn germ oils oxidation. The oxidation was studied in a forced regime during 700 h, by the addition of hydrogen peroxide and Cu2+ ions. The optimal conditions of the accelerated oxidation process in the analysed systems were established. The progress of lipid oxidation was evaluated by measuring the peroxide value (PV) and conjugated dienes and trienes (CD, CT). A series of secondary products of the lipid oxidation were identified: hexanal, octanal and hydroxy-nonadienal. The intensity of the formation of these compounds during oxidation was monitored. The results of this study showed that the oil samples with the addition of antioxidants showed considerably lower oxidation values compared to the control sample. More effective was the action of L-ascorbic acid 6-palmitate and n-octyl gallate, the optimum concentration was 0.1%. An inhibitory effect of the oxidation process was noted for α-tocopherol and matcha extract, the optimal addition concentration was 1%.

Characteristics and Mutagenicity of Fumes Obtained from Commercial Edible Oils

Seven commercial edible oils including soybean oil, corn germ oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, blend peanut oil, calola oil and lard were investigated for their physical and chemical properties as well as for the mutagenicity of oil fumes by applying the Ames test. The smoking points of those oils were 118, 119, 95, 98, 107, 138 and 137°C, respectively. Lard had the best oxidative stability among those seven oils as determined by the Rancimat method. Peanut oil produced the largest amount of fumes while corn germ oil and sunflower oil produced the least amounts. The oil fumes (0-10 μg/plate) of these edible oils showed various degrees of mutagenicity toward Salmonella typhimurium TA98 and TA100 (p<0.05). Results also provided information for developing edible cooking oils with higher smoke points, lower fume quantity and less mutagenicity.

Kinetic, thermodynamic and optimization study of the corn germ oil extraction process

Corn germ oil (CGO) was recovered from the ground corn germ by maceration using n-hexane at the ranges of the temperature and the solvent:germ ratio (SGR) of 20–70 °C and 3:1–10:1 mL/g, respectively. The obtained CGO contained mainly the unsaturated fatty acids (87.09 ± 0.37%) with linoleic and oleic acid as the most abundant while the main saturated fatty acid was palmitic acid. The CGO extraction yield was statistically analyzed, modeled and optimized combining the response surface methodology with the 33 full factorial design with replication. All individual process variables (maceration temperature, SGR and maceration time), the interaction of maceration temperature with SGR and the quadratic terms of maceration temperature and SGR had a statistically significant influence on the CGO yield. For the kinetic modeling of the CGO maceration, three models, namely the phenomenological model, the model that included instantaneous washing and diffusion and the diffusional model, were tested. Although all models successfully described the kinetics of CGO extraction (MRPD values ≤2%), the diffusional model was less accurate. The thermodynamic analysis of CGO extraction showed that the extraction process was spontaneous, endothermic and irreversible.

Unlocking the potential of minimally processed corn germ oil and high oleic soybean oil to prepare oleogels for bakery application.

In this study, the influence of sunflower wax (SFX) concentration (1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 wt%) on the properties of oleogels prepared using expeller-pressed corn germ oil (EPC) or high oleic soybean oil (EPS) was comprehensively investigated. Overall, oleogels can be prepared from both EP oils at an SFX level ≥3 wt%. The strength of oleogels depends on SFX concentration. EPS oleogels had better rheological properties and a higher amount of platelet-like crystals than EPC oleogels. The characteristics of cookies prepared with both oleogels were evaluated and compared to cookies prepared with commercial shortening. The lipid distribution in the cookies as visualized by CLSM suggested that EPS oleogels with a 5 or 7 wt% SFX had a greater possibility of replacing commercial shortening as they exhibited even lipid distribution which enabled good air-incorporation and air retention abilities. This research provides a foundation for developing healthy bakery products by using minimally processed oil based oleogels.

High‐Purity Tocored Improves the Stability of Stripped Corn Oil Under Accelerated Conditions

Abstractγ‐Tocopherol‐5,6‐quinone (tocored) is of importance among the γ‐tocopherol (γ‐T) oxidant products and found in corn germ oil. Investigation on tocored is impeded in part by the difficulty to access high purity tocored. In this present study, high‐purity tocored is successfully prepared, and its antioxidant activity, together with γ‐T and TBHQ (positive control) in increasing concentrations in stripped corn germ oil is evaluated by Rancimat and Schaal oven tests. The stabilization factor in the Rancimat tests increases significantly (p &lt; 0.05) along with an increase in the levels of antioxidants. Furthermore, tocored exhibits higher stabilization than γ‐T in the Schaal oven tests, although its efficacy gradually increases up to 100 mg kg–1 and decreases significantly at higher levels (from 100 to 500 mg kg–1), drawn from the comprehensive parameter A (considering both efficiency and strength) changes (5.06–11.21). In addition, the curves illustrating the residual contents of tocored and γ‐T run in different ways when the four levels are taken into consideration, further bearing the above results. Tocored tends to be a potent natural antioxidant for edible corn germ oil preservation.Practical Application: The present work provides more clear procedures for high‐purity tocored synthesis. Furthermore, tocored may be a potential natural antioxidant that is especially suitable for lipid base food substrates. The results of the present work contribute to the deeper understanding of the antioxidant activity of γ‐tocopherol. The antioxidant activity of tocored is higher than γ‐tocopherol in Schaal oven test. Tocored is a bright orange‐red substance that affects the appearance of the edible oil. Meanwhile, γ‐tocopherol is well known for its valuable health benefits, and appropriate measures should be adopted to store oils (corn oil, soybean oil, and so on) rich in γ‐tocopherol to control transformation in order to keep stability optimal. To some degree, the practical applications of the present results are also related to the processing and storage of edible oils.

Formation, characterization, and potential food application of rice bran wax oleogels: Expeller-pressed corn germ oil versus refined corn oil

The expeller-pressed (EP) corn germ oil oleogels were prepared using rice bran wax (RBX) at different concentrations (3, 5, 7, and 9 wt%). Their structural properties, including color, hardness, thermal behavior, rheological property, and crystal structure were evaluated. The performance of oleogels for potential food application was examined by incorporating oleogels into cookies as a fully replacement for commercial shortenings. Overall, RBX could form oleogels in both refined and EP corn germ oils at a concentration ≥3 wt%. Refined corn oil produced a stronger gel than crude corn oil. When comparing cookie characteristics, cookies made with both types of oleogels showed similar properties with commercial cookies. This result indicates that oleogels made by refined and EP corn germ oil together with RBX have the potential to imitate the functionality of commercial shortening in the baking industry.

Extraction of corn germ oil with supercritical CO2 and cosolvents.

The aim of this work was to investigate corn germ oil extraction using supercritical CO2 and cosolvents addition (hexane, acetone and ethanol). The effects of temperature (45-85°C) and pressure (15-25MPa) on the extract yield were evaluated for the tests conducted only with supercritical CO2. The addition of cosolvents to supercritical CO2 was also examined at 25MPa and 60°C. The conventional Soxhlet extraction with different organic solvents was also performed for comparison purposes. The results of extraction with supercritical fluid showed that the yields increased with pressure at each temperature, but decreased with temperature increase. Mathematical modeling was applied to describe extraction curves, with very good fits. The addition of cosolvents led to higher yield, with a maximum yield of 13.81% using ethanol. The analysis of fatty acids profile did not present significant differences among the evaluated methods. On the other hand, the antioxidant activity of the extracts obtained by supercritical CO2 extraction was higher than the ones verified for the extracts collected after conventional Soxhlet extraction. Therefore, the use of supercritical CO2 extraction could be an interesting way to preserve antioxidant properties of this oil in order to use it for pharmaceutical purposes.

A novel nanobody and mimotope based immunoassay for rapid analysis of aflatoxin B1

Mimotopes could replace mycotoxins and their conjugates to develop immunoassay methods. The mimotopes obtained by phage display technology were mainly using monoclonal antibodies or polyclonal antibodies as targets. However, the mimotope of recombinant antibody has not been selected and applied to immunoassay for mycotoxin. The purpose of this study was to prove that an immunoassay for mycotoxin could be developed based on both recombinant antibody and its mimotope. Using aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) as a model system, mimotopes of an aflatoxin nanobody Nb28 were screened by phage display. A rapid magnetic beads-based directed competitive ELISA (MB-dcELISA) was developed utilizing Nb28 and its mimotope ME17. The 50% inhibitory concentration and the detection limit of the MB-dcELISA were 0.75 and 0.13 ng/mL, respectively, with a linear range of 0.24–2.21 ng/mL. Further validation study indicated good recovery (84.2–116.2%) with low coefficient of variable (2.2%–15.9%) in spiked corn, rice, peanut, feedstuff, corn germ oil and peanut oil samples. The developed immunoassay based on nanobody and mimotope provides a new strategy for the monitoring of AFB1 and other toxic small molecular weight compounds.

Physicochemical characteristics and oxidative stability of Egyptian corn germ oil produced by aqueous enzymatic extraction

The physicochemical properties and the oxidative stability of Egyptian corn germ oil produced by aqueous enzymatic extraction using fungal cellulase, bacterial and bovine proteases, either individually or in combination were compared to that extracted by hexane. The optimized conditions of the new bovine protease for maximum oil yield were: 0.1% enzyme, pH 7.5 and 1h incubation time versus 0.6%, 0.63% enzyme, pH 4, 8.2 and 4, 2h incubation for fungal cellulase and bacterial protease, respectively. The higher oil yield was obtained by combining cellulase with bacterial protease (62.38%) or with bovine protease (51.94%) relative to hexane extraction (100%). The refractive index, iodine, saponification and peroxide values, DPPH scavenging activity, as well as fatty acids composition of enzymes and solvent-extracted oils were comparable. The acid value and color index of the enzyme-extracted oils were better than that produced by hexane, indicating that enzymes could be applied in the production of eco-friendly corn oil.

Effects of heat pretreatment of wet-milled corn germ on the physicochemical properties of oil.

Corn germ oil is removed from the milled germ using a conditioning (heating) process, followed by mechanical expelling and/or hexane extraction. In this study, the effect of pretreatment by oven roasting (OR) and microwave (MW) radiation on wet-milled corn germ was investigated. Three OR temperatures (125, 150, and 175°C) were used with 60min exposure, and MW pretreatments were established by combining two powers (440 and 800W) and three pretreatment times (4, 6, and 8min). The levels of red value, 1,3-diacylglycerol, total diacylglycerol, free fatty acid, and oleic acid increased substantially, while those of triacylglycerol (TAG), linoleic, and linolenic acid decreased significantly following OR. There were no significant differences in TAG compositions following OR and MW treatments. Both heat pretreatments significantly increased the total tocopherol content. δ-Tocopherol showed minimal changes, while β-tocopherol progressively increased after the heat treatments. No significant differences in phytosterols levels were observed among most samples. The MW radiation Proper roasting temperatures or MW radiation times could enrich the content of individual tocopherols and phytosterols, and improve the oxidative stability of oil. The MW radiation tends to be more applicable and sustainable for oil industry to improve the quality of corn germ oil.