Maize Extracts Research Articles

Selection of lactic acid bacteria to promote an efficient silage fermentation capable of inhibiting the activity of Aspergillus parasiticus and Fusarium gramineraum and mycotoxin production

To select lactic acid bacteria with potential silage inoculant properties. The bio-control activity against mycotoxicogenic fungi and the presence of antibiotics resistance gene were also evaluated. Lactobacillus rhamnosus RC007 and Lactobacillus plantarum RC009 were selected on the basis of growth rate and efficacy in reducing the pH of maize extract medium; therefore, they were evaluated for their bio-control ability against Fusarium graminearum and Aspergillus parasiticus. Studies on lag phase, growth rate and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and zearalenone (ZEA) production were carried out in vitro under different regimes of aw (0·95 and 0·99); pH (4 and 6); temperature (25 and 37°C); and oxygen availability (normal and reduced). Lactobacillus rhamnosus RC007 was able to completely inhibit the F.graminearum growth at all assayed conditions, while Lact.plantarum RC009 only did it at pH 4. Both Lactobacillus strains were able to significantly reduce the A.parasiticus growth rate mainly at 0·99 aw . A decrease in ZEA production was observed as result of Lactobacillus strains -F.graminearum interaction; however, the A.parasiticus- Lact.plantarum interaction resulted in an increased AFB1 production. Lactobacillus rhamnosus RC007 proved to have no genes for resistance to the tested antibiotics. The ability of Lact.rhamnosus RC007 to rapidly drop the pH and to inhibit fungal growth and mycotoxin production and the absence of antibiotic resistance genes shows the potential of its application as inoculant and bio-control agent in animal feed. This study demonstrated the importance of selecting bacteria for silage inoculants not only for the improvement of silage fermentation but also for their effects on mycotoxicogenic fungi and the resulting mycotoxin production due to the risk that they may involve.

STUDIES THE EFFECT OF ROOT EXUDATES OF SESAME , MAIZE AND ROOT DEBRIS ON THE GROWTH OFPythium spp

The pathogenicity of three isolates of the genus Pythiumthat isolated from infected Okra (P.afertile) ,hay and cress plants for many economical plants such as maize , sesame , cucumber and tomato were studied in artificially infested soils . The pathogenicity was determined according to it's ability to cause pre – and post emergence damping – off of seedlings. The pathogenicity tests showed that the P.afertile isolate recorded the maximum reduction in percentage of pre – emergence damping – off , where it's percent was 39.99% , followed by cress isolate as 32.08 % and hay isolate as 27.08% , whereas the cress isolate gave a significant reduction in percentage of post – emergence damping – off which was 27.35 % , followed by P.afertileand hay isolates which were 21.44 % and 16.35 % respectively .Results indicated that the maize root exudates had more inhibition activity against both Pythium isolates ( P. afertileand cress isolates ) in comparison with sesame root exudates , which project the growth rate about 56.915 millimeters and 60.025 % millimeters for both treatments of maize and sesame root exudates respectively . The maximal inhibitory effect of root exudates was against the P. afertile isolate in comparison to the cress isolate , where the size of the fungal colonies were 35.116 millimeters and 83.7 millimeters for the P. afertile and cress isolates respectively .The study showed that maize root powder extract had positive effect against the growth of the P. afertileisolate ,Where the size of the fungal colony reached to 51.75 millimeter in comparison to the control which was 42.58 millimeters . This positive effect was missing against cress isolate , furthermore the prepared medium from the mixing of Root Maize Extract Agar ( R.M.E.A. ) and Potato Sucrose Agar (P.S.A.) media did remarkable support for the growth of the P. afertileisolate , which was 58.0 millimeters colony diameter in comparison to R.M.E.A and P.S.A. which were 41.0 millimeters and 40.0 millimeters respectively , whereas such differences disappeared to the cress isolate . The study showed the high efficacy of coating sesame seeds with the powders of root maize in reducing infection rates with pre – and post emergence damping – off caused by Pythium sp. in comparison with the effect of the fungicide Beltanol , as 15.18 % and 22.4 % for the treatments of coating sesame seeds with the powders of root maize or the fungicide respectively , which planted in the soils that infested with the P. afertile isolate , and 31.10 % and 23.04% for the same treatments but planted in the soils that infested with cress isolate .

Role of natural coagulant and solar energy in treating turbid water

Present study deals with use of indigenous or natural treatment methods using plant material and solar radiation as alternatives to conventional treatment method. The coagulation ability of Zeemays (Maize) extract was assessed by the use of standard jar test measurements in water with various turbidities. Investigation of Zeemays as natural coagulant was confirmed by its positive effective coagulation activity. An optimum dose of 200 mg/l, 220 mg/l and 300 mg/l of this coagulant resulted in 75 %, 65% and 70% coagulation activity for clarification of 20 NTU, 40 NTU and 80 NTU water along with inactivation of bacteria in 60 minutes. Further clarified water with natural coagulant was exposed to sunlight which showed 100 % inactivation of both E. coli and Coliforms counts within 2 hr, with no subsequent reactivation of growth after 24 hr.

Allergy to beer in LTP‐sensitized patients: beers are not all the same

Most cases of beer allergy reported so far have been associated with hypersensitivity to the non-specific lipid transfer protein (LTP). In view of the marked differences in brewing processes we assessed IgE reactivity as well as tolerance to many different beers in an allergic patient. A 45 year-old man hypersensitive to grass pollen, cat dander and Alternaria tenuis with a history of urticaria and dyspnoea after drinking beer and a weak skin reactivity to commercial corn extract was studied. The patient underwent SPT with 36 different brands of beer and an open challenge with those scoring negative was performed. An immunoblot analysis was carried out using 2 SPT-positive beers, 2 SPT-negative beers, and barley, wheat, and maize extracts using both patient's serum and a maize LTP-specific in-house developed polyclonal antibody from rabbit. Further, the immune reactive LTP of one beer was separated by HPLC and the chromatogram was compared to that of purified maize LTP. Beer SPT scored positive in 30/36 cases. The immunoblot analysis showed IgE reactivity at about 10 kDa against the two SPT-positive beers and against maize with both patient's serum and the polyclonal anti-LTP rabbit serum, whereas the two SPT-negative beers, and barley extract scored negative. The immunodetected protein co-migrated with maize LTP. In beer-allergic patients the diagnostic workup may point to the detection of some tolerated products that can be consumed risk-free.

Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Bound Phenolic Acids in Bran and Flour Fractions from Sorghum and Maize Cultivars Varying in Hardness

To release bound phenolic acids, a microwave-assisted extraction procedure was applied to bran and flour fractions obtained from eight sorghum and eight maize cultivars varying in hardness. The procedure was followed by HPLC analysis, and the identities of phenolic acids were confirmed by MS/MS spectra. The extraction of sorghum and maize bound phenolic acids was done for 90 s in 2 M NaOH to release ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid from bran and flour. Two diferulic acids, 8-O-4'- and 8-5'-benzofuran form, were identified and quantitated in sorghum bran, and only the former was found in maize bran. The contents of ferulic acid and diferulic acids in sorghum bran were 416-827 and 25-179 μg/g, respectively, compared to 2193-4779 and 271-819 μg/g in maize. Phenolic acid levels of sorghum were similar between hard and soft cultivars, whereas those of maize differed significantly (p < 0.05) except for ferulic acid in flour. Sorghum phenolic acids were not correlated with grain hardness as measured using a tangential abrasive decortication device. Maize ferulic acid (r = -0.601, p < 0.01), p-coumaric acid (r = -0.668, p < 0.01), and 8-O-4'-diferulic acid (r = -0.629, p < 0.01) were significantly correlated with hardness.

Neutral Lipids in Free, Bound, and Starch Lipid Extracts of Flours, Sourdough, and Portuguese Sourdough Bread Determined by NP‐HPLC‐ELSD

ABSTRACTA detailed analysis was developed, focused on the neutral lipids (NL) in free (FL), bound (BL), and starch lipid (SL) extracts of maize and rye flours, sourdough, and broa (a traditional bread manufactured in Portugal). Selective sequential extraction of said lipids with hexane at 20°C, water‐saturated n‐butanol at 20°C, and n‐propanol‐water (3:1, v/v) at 100°C was performed to clean the lipid extracts from extraneous impurities, and isolation thereof from glyco‐ and phospholipids was by solid phase extraction of NL; these classes were then quantitatively assayed by HPLC, using evaporative light scattering detection, with calibration curves prepared with standard mixtures of NL. The BL and SL contents in the original flours increased and that of FL decreased throughout the fermentation and baking processes. The dominant NL class was not the same in all lipid extracts; the highest concentrations of triacylglycerols and the lowest concentrations of free fatty acids were detected in FL—with the former accounting for 82, 76, and 71% of the total FL in flours, sourdough, and bread, respectively. Triacylglycerols and free fatty acids also accounted for the highest concentrations found in BL: these, together with diacylglycerols, contributed up to 84% of the total neutral BL. High levels of free fatty acids and low levels of the remaining NL classes were typically found in SL: free fatty acids, triacylglycerols, sterol esters, and diacylglycerols accounted for ≈90% of the total SL.

Design of an imprinted clean-up method for mycophenolic acid in maize

In the present work, the development of imprinted polymers selective towards mycophenolic acid and their application in food analysis are reported for the first time. To synthesize the molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) 4-vinylpyridine and ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate were applied as functional monomer and cross-linker, respectively. Besides the toxin itself, the implementation of structural analogues as templates was evaluated. A molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) procedure was designed for the selective clean-up of maize extracts. Binding experiments and Scatchard analysis indicated the presence of specific binding sites in the imprinted polymers. The imprinting effect varied along with the selected template. The dissociation constant ( K D) of the higher affinity binding sites ranged from 0.8 μmol/l to 15.6 μmol/l, while the K D of the lower affinity binding sites was in the range of 138.5–519.3 μmol/l. The performance of the MIPs throughout the clean-up of spiked maize sample extracts was evaluated and compared with the results obtained when applying a non-imprinted polymer. Depending on the polymers and the spiked concentration, recoveries after MISPE and non-imprinted solid-phase extraction varied respectively from 49% to 84% and from 28% to 31%. The imprinted polymers were superior regarding matrix effect, limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ). LOD ranged from 0.17 μg/kg to 0.25 μg/kg and LOQ varied from 0.57 μg/kg to 0.82 μg/kg. Analysis of 15 maize samples by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry revealed that the MIPs could be excellent sorbents for clean-up of contaminated food samples.

Use of Sorghum and Maize Allelopathic Properties to Inhibit Germination and Growth of Wild Barley (Hordeum spontaneum)

Herbicidal effects of aqueous extracts of two allelopathic crops, sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) were evaluated against germination and growth of wild barley. Fresh maize and sorghum plants were separated into leaves, stems and roots for vegetative stage. Tissues from each plant parts and mixture of both maize and sorghum parts were soaked in distilled water for 24 h at 24C in a lighted room to give concentrations of 5, 10 and 15 g of tissue per 100 ml of water. Our results indicated that germination were significantly reduced by extracts of all the test crops. All extracts, except that from sorghum stems and mixture of maize and sorghum stems (MixMSS), significantly reduced hypocotyl length at all concentrations when compared with the water control. Extracts from all plant parts caused a marked reduction in radicle length of wild barley seedlings, ranging between 16 and 47% when compared with the water control. Also all extracts caused emarked reduction in wild barley dry weight at all concentrations when compared with the water control. We concludes that sorghum and maize extracts have significant herbicidal effects on the germination and growth of wild barley.

Neutral lipids in non‐starch lipid and starch lipid extracts from Portuguese sourdough bread

AbstractThis research effort was aimed at assessing the changes in extractable neutral lipids (NL) throughout the baking process of Broa, a Portuguese traditional sourdough bread. NL were accordingly isolated, purified and quantitated – starting from non‐starch lipid (NSL) and starch lipid (SL) extracts of maize and rye flours, as well as fermented dough and bread. NSL accounted for the major fraction of extracted lipids; furthermore, the NSL/SL ratio evolved throughout processing in agreement with the phenomena prevailing during dough preparation, fermentation, and baking. An analytical method based on resolution by normal‐phase HPLC coupled with detection by evaporative light scattering was accordingly developed for quantitation of the aforementioned NL classes. Distinct NL classes correlated well with the stage of bread making. The main NL in NSL were triacylglycerols (ca. 75% of the total), but relatively high concentrations of sterol esters and diacylglycerols were also found. Conversely, free fatty acids were the dominant component of SL, whereas monoacylglycerols and free sterols were comparable to those in NSL.

Bioactivities of Kernel Extracts of 18 Strains of Maize (Zea mays)

Aqueous and ethanolic extracts of maize kernels from 18 varieties/strains were prepared for the evaluation of inhibitory activities toward α-glucosidase and scavenging activities toward nitric oxide (NO•) and superoxide (•O(2)(-)). All ethanolic extracts of maize strains tested inhibited yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) α-glucosidase with the highest potency (49% to 54%) found for 2 purple and a yellow strains. However, inhibitory effects of maize extracts on rat intestinal α-glucosidase were as a whole about 10% as effective as with the yeast enzyme. Maize extracts were capable of scavenging NO• at the level of 0.25 mg/mL to extents ranging from 24% to 50% and 26% to 57%, respectively, for aqueous and ethanolic extracts. All tested aqueous extracts were also capable of scavenging •O(2)(-), with efficacies ranging from 8% to 38%, at the level of 1.5 mg/mL, whereas almost none of the ethanolic extracts scavenged •O(2)(-), except for one purple strain (approximately 10% effective). The effectiveness in the enzyme inhibition and antioxidant assays did not correlate with total phenolic and/or anthocyanin levels, nor with the nature of pigmentation among the maize strains evaluated. Practical Application: A diversity of pigmented maize strains was evaluated for biological activities related to mitigating oxidative stress and slowing down glucose absorption from the diet. Certain strains tended to be more abundant in these biological activities and have potential to be used in dietary regimes that are designed to promote human health.

Tillage and fertilizer effect on root distribution, water uptake and yield of maize in inland valley swamps in southwestern Nigeria

Information on the hydraulic properties of a soil is important in understanding soil drainage, solute transport and water supply to plants, for improved agricultural production. Such information is, however, scarce for the wetlands in southwestern Nigeria. This study evaluated the effect of mound-tillage (MT), ridge-tillage (RT), and no-tillage (NT), with fertilizer (F) and without fertilizer (Fo) on root growth, water extraction and yield of maize in three representative inland valley swamps, namely, very poorly drained (AY11L), poorly drained (AY13D), and imperfectly drained (AY22R) in the Ayepe area of Southwestern Nigeria. Root growth of maize was significantly (P Keywords : Wet inland valley swamps, productive soils, tillage systems, crop production.

Antiangiogenic properties of carotenoids: A potential role of maize as functional food

Several human disorders are associated with neovascularization. The current in vivo study examines the effect in the blood vessel formation of a xanthophyll-rich seed extract of maize. The angiostatic effects of treatment with maize seed carotenoid extract (0.1–10 μM of zeaxanthin equivalent/implant) were evaluated in the chick yolk sac membrane (YSM) (12–50% inhibition, P < 0.05) as well as in the chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay (23–52% inhibition, P < 0.05) as compared to control group. A similar inhibitory action was found by treatments with the retinoic acid (10 μM/embryo, 49% and 57% inhibition) and commercial lutein (10 μM/embryo, 65% and 55% inhibition) (positive controls) performed in the YSM and CAM, respectively. Results point to maize seeds as interesting sources of xanthophylls which effectively inhibited the process of vessel formation, suggesting a potential role of such compounds in the prevention of diseases associated with vascular dysfunction.

Multi‐mycotoxin analysis in complex biological matrices using LC‐ESI/MS: Experimental study using triple stage quadrupole and LTQ‐Orbitrap

In the present study, we report the application of LC-MS based on two different LC-MS systems to mycotoxin analysis. The mycotoxins were extracted with an ACN/water/acetic acid mixture and directly injected into a LC-MS/MS system without any dilution procedure. First, a sensitive and reliable HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method using selected reaction monitoring on a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (TSQ Quantum Ultra AM) has been developed for determining 32 mycotoxins in crude extracts of wheat and maize. This method was operated both in positive and in negative ionization modes in two separate chromatographic runs. The method was validated by studies of spiked recoveries, linearity, matrix effect, intra-assay precision and sensitivity. Further, we have developed and evaluated a method based on accurate mass measurements of extracted target ions in full scan mode using micro-LC-LTQ-Orbitrap as a tool for fast quantitative analysis. Both instruments exhibited very high sensitivity and repeatability in positive ionization mode. Coupling of micro-LC to Orbitrap technology was not applicable to the negatively ionizable compounds. The LC triple quadrupole MS method has proved to be stable in quantitation, as it is with respect to the matrix effects of grain samples.

Production of Antioxidants by Marasmiellus sp. Via Solid Substrate Fermentation

This study was aimed to evaluate the antioxidant properties of methanol extracts of fermented substrates optimised for antioxidant production by Marasmiellus sp. KUM 50061 mycelial biomass. Extract of fermented maize supplemented with (w/w) malt extract 4, yeast extract 4 and rice bran 4 exhibited the highest 1,1diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging ability. The effective concentration of extract to scavenge 50 radicals was 1.875 mg mL-1. This formulation was chosen as the optimum substrate for antioxidant production by Marasmiellus sp. KUM 50061 mycelial biomass. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) assay showed that the effective concentration to inhibit lipid peroxidation of buffered egg yolk by 50 was 6.00 mg mL-1. Total phenolics amounted to 31.41±1.56 mg GAE g-1 extract as measured by the Folin-Ciocalteau method.

Development of a LC-MS/MS Method for the Analysis of Enniatins and Beauvericin in Whole Fresh and Ensiled Maize

A LC-MS/MS method for the detection of beauvericin and the four enniatins A, A1, B, and B1 in maize and maize silage was developed. The method uses direct injection of maize extracts without any tedious and laborious cleanup procedures. The limit of quantification was determined at 13 ng g(-1) for beauvericin and at 17, 34, 24, and 26 ng g(-1) for enniatins A, A1, B, and B1, respectively. The method was used in surveys of the compounds in fresh maize samples collected at harvest in 2005 and 2006. All samples had the same distribution of the enniatins: B > B1 > A1 > A. Enniatin B was present in 90% of the samples in 2005 and in 100% in 2006 at levels up to 489 and 2598 ng g(-1), respectively. Beauvericin contamination was more frequently detected in 2006 than in 2005 (89 and 10%, respectively) and in higher amounts (988 and 71 ng g(-1), respectively). The occurrence of beauvericin and the four enniatins was examined in 3-month-old maize silage stacks from 20 different farms. As observed in fresh maize, enniatin B was the most abundant compound in ensiled maize and was found from 19 stacks at levels up to 218 ng g(-1). The stability of enniatin B in maize silage was assessed by analyzing samples from 10 of the silage stacks taken after 3, 7, and 11 months of ensiling. Enniatin B could be detected at all locations after 11 months and appeared to be stable during ensiling.

Extraction of Aflatoxins B1 and G1 from Maize by Using Aqueous Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate

Aflatoxins are potent carcinogens produced by certain Aspergillus fungi. The aflatoxins were first discovered in the 1960s, and since then have been found to be distributed worldwide in a variety of commodities, foods, and feeds. Many of the early techniques for detecting aflatoxins involved extraction with halogenated solvents. With the increased availability and use of reversed-phase solid-phase extraction cartridges and the availability of immunoaffinity columns, aqueous mixtures of nonhalogenated solvents have been frequently used. To further reduce the need for solvents, we examined the effects of eliminating solvents during the extraction of maize, using aqueous mixtures of the detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate. After extraction and filtration, aflatoxins B1 (AFB1) and G1 (AFG1) were isolated by using commercially available immunoaffinity columns. The isolated AFB1 and AFG1 were derivatized with trifluoroacetic acid before separation by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. In spiked maize, the limits of detection were 0.5 and 1 ng/g for AFB1 and AFG1, respectively. Recoveries of AFB1 from maize spiked at 1-20 ng/g averaged 87.5% (range, 76.3-99.0%), with an average repeatability relative standard deviation (RSDr) of 4.0%. Recoveries of AFG1 from maize spiked at 2-20 ng/g averaged 80.4% (range, 70.3-85.8%), with an average RSDr of 3.5%. This is the first reported demonstration of an effective solvent-free extraction of aflatoxins from maize at ambient pressure, and this extraction procedure may serve to help reduce solvent consumption during aflatoxin analysis.

Differences in mate acceptance and host plant recognition between wild and laboratory‐reared Busseola fusca (Fuller)

AbstractThe present study was aimed at characterizing differences in mate acceptance and host plant recognition between Busseola fusca (Lep.: Noctuidae) reared for several generations under laboratory conditions and wild conspecifics, directly collected from maize stems in the field. The mating success was significantly higher in laboratory reared when compared with the wild B. fusca population. Oviposition on artificial stems was significantly higher for laboratory‐reared insects than for the wild ones. Moreover, unlike adults of the wild strain, laboratory‐reared B. fusca showed no preference to oviposit on surrogate stems impregnated with maize extracts. Long‐range attraction to the host plant was significantly lower for laboratory‐reared insects. Furthermore, the polymerase chain reaction‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR‐RFLP) analysis of mitochondrial DNA showed that the wild type and laboratory populations belonged to the same genetic strain, indicating that these differences between the populations were mainly phenotypic.

Affinity chromatography for the purification of therapeutic proteins from transgenic maize using immobilized histamine

Plant molecular pharming is a technology that uses plants as bioreactors to produce recombinant molecules of medical and veterinary importance. In the present study, we evaluated the ability of histamine (HIM), tryptamine (TRM), phenylamine (PHEM) and tyramine (TYRM) coupled to Sepharose CL-4B via a 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether spacer to bind and purify human monoclonal anti-HIV antibody 2F5 (mAb 2F5) from spiked maize seed and tobacco leaf extracts. Detailed studies were carried out to determine the factors that affect the chromatographic behaviour of mAb 2F5 and also maize seed and tobacco leaf proteins. All affinity adsorbents showed a reduced capacity to bind and a reduced ability to purify proteins from tobacco extract compared to maize extract. Under optimal conditions, HIM exhibited high selectivity for mAb 2F5 and allowed a high degree of purification (>95% purity) and recovery (>90%) in a single step with salt elution (0.4 M KCl) from spiked maize seed extract. Analysis of the purified antibody fraction by ELISA and Western blot showed that the antibody was fully active and free of degraded variants or modified forms. The efficacy of the system was assessed further using a second therapeutic antibody (human monoclonal anti-HIV antibody mAb 2G12) and a therapeutic enzyme (alpha-chymotrypsin). HIM may find application in the purification of a wide range of biopharmaceuticals from transgenic plants.

Binding properties of a monoclonal antibody against the Cry1Ab from Bacillus Thuringensis for the development of a capillary electrophoresis competitive immunoassay

Experimental work performed was aimed at the assessment of a competitive capillary electrophoresis immunoassay with laser-induced fluorescence (CEIA-LIF) detection for the determination of the Cry1Ab endotoxin from Bacillus thuringensis. The binding constant of a monoclonal antibody, raised against the insecticide protein Cry1Ab, was determined on a microplate by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and compared with that obtained in-capillary under nonequilibrium separation conditions. The two binding constants appear comparable-(5.0 +/- 1.2) x 10(6) M(-1) and (9.06 +/- 5.7) x 10(6) M(-1)-reflecting good preservation of the antibody binding behavior in the capillary electrophoresis format. These results allow use of a calibration curve possible between 0.2 and 150 nM of endotoxin protein, with a limit of detection of 0.5 nM (33 mug L(-1)). Preliminary recovery experiments on maize extracts spiked with known amounts of Cry1Ab endotoxin also showed promising results in detecting the toxin in complex real matrices.

Antioxidant from maize and maize fermented by Marasmiellus sp. as stabiliser of lipid-rich foods

Mycelia of Marasmiellus sp. (KUM 50061) were grown on maize for antioxidant production. This formed the mycelial biomass which was then extracted with methanol. Antioxidant activity of methanolic extract was analysed by the TBARS assay, using egg yolk or palm cooking oil as a source of lipid, rather than the conventional rat liver microsomes or linoleic acid. Results showed that at low concentrations of extracts, inhibition of lipid peroxidation in buffered egg yolk was marginal, but significant inhibitory response was evident as the concentrations was increased. The concentration of extract of fermented maize that caused 50% inhibition of lipid peroxidation of buffered egg yolk was 6 mg/ml. Results also indicated a decrease in peroxidation in heated cooking oil supplemented with dried extract compared to unsupplemented cooking oil. The concentration range of dried extract supplementation was 0.2–5 mg/ml. Increasing the extract concentration did not significantly alter the inhibition of peroxidation. The inhibition effect was still evident even at the lowest concentration tested, and was found to be better than catechin and BHA. This pattern of observation was consistent over the 12-day period of observation. Therefore, the possibility of substituting synthetic antioxidants such as BHA and BHT, which are known to be carcinogenic, with antioxidants of natural origin is suggested.