Raw Corn Research Articles

Variance of Zein Protein and Starch Granule Morphology between Corn and Steam Flaked Products Determined Starch Ruminal Degradability Through Altering Starch Hydrolyzing Bacteria Attachment.

Simple SummaryPreviously, we found that starch ruminal degradation kinetics between raw and steam flaked corn were significantly different, but the mechanism is still ambiguous. Currently, we have demonstrated that γ-zein protein, encapsulating the starch granules into the hydrophobic starch–protein matrix, and starch granule characteristics were dramatically different between raw and steam flaked corns. Along with the totally different abundance and procedures of starch hydrolyzing bacteria attached to the two grain types, we concluded that γ-zein protein content and starch granule morphology of corn grain determined starch ruminal degradation kinetics through altering the abundance and procedure of starch hydrolyzing bacteria attached to corn grain in rumen. The current study investigated differences of γ-zein protein contents and starch granule characteristics between raw and steam flaked corns and their influences on ruminal starch hydrolyzing bacteria (SHB) attached to corn grain. Two types of raw (Corn1 and Corn2) and their steam-flaked products (SFCorn1 and SFCorn2) were applied to explore physiochemical structures and SHB attachment. SDS-PAGE was conducted to detect γ-zein protein patterns, scanning electron microscope, and small angle X-ray scattering were performed to obtain starch granule morphology, while crystallinity, DQ starch, and DAPI staining were applied to quantify SHB. The steam flaking process destroyed γ-zein proteins and gelatinized starch granules. The median particle size of Corn1 and Corn2 starch granules increased from 17.8 and 18.0 μm to 30.8 and 26.0 μm, but crystallinity decreased from 22.0 and 25.0% to 9.9 and 16.9%, respectively. The percentage of SHB attached to Corn1 residues decreased (p = 0.01) after 4 h incubation, but SHB attached to SFCorn1 residues increased (p = 0.03) after 12 h incubation. Thus, the differences of γ-zein proteins and starch granule physiochemical structures between raw and steam flaked corn played an important role in improving the rate and extent of starch ruminal degradation through altering the process of SHB attached to corn.

Anthocyanins of Blue Corn and Tortilla Arrest Cell Cycle and Induce Apoptosis on Breast and Prostate Cancer Cells

Background: Breast and prostate cancer are frequently diagnosed neoplasias in women and men around the world. The signaling of the androgen receptor (AR) influences the development of both tumors. Since therapies focused to block the receptor’s activity have not been fully effective, and have shown side effects, therapies based on natural compounds are promissory complementary alternatives in its treatment. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of anthocyanins from blue corn in cancer cell lines. Methods: We analyzed the antiproliferative effect of anthocyanins from raw and alkali-processed (tortillas) Mixteco blue corn in breast and prostate cancer cell lines MDA-MB-453 (subtype: triple negative) and LNCaP using methyltiazlyl-tetrazolium (MTT) and flow cytometry (FCM). The combination of anthocyanins and 2-amino-N-quinolin-8-yl-benzenesulfonamide (QBS) or nocodazole also were evaluated. The anthocyanins were isolated trough column chromatography (XAD-7).Results: Our results demonstrated that anthocyanin specially the ones obtained from tortillas, decreased cell viability and arrested cell cycle in G1 phase inducing apoptosis. Cytometry analysis shows an increased effect on apoptosis of MDA-MB-453 and LNCaP cells when tortilla anthocyanins and QBS were combined. Conclusions: This is the first report that suggest that anthocyanins from blue corn have an effect in cell cycle and viability so they could serve as adjuvants for breast and prostate cancer therapies and may prompt to deepen investigations to decipher its molecular properties.AbbreviationsARAndrogen ReceptorCIDIIRInterdisciplinary Center for Research on Integral Regional DevelopmentDHT5α-DihydrotestosteroneEREstrogen ReceptorPRProgesterone ReceptorQBSAmino-N-quinolin-8-yl-benzenesulfonamide

Construction of industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains for the efficient consolidated bioprocessing of raw starch

BackgroundConsolidated bioprocessing (CBP) combines enzyme production, saccharification and fermentation into a one-step process. This strategy represents a promising alternative for economic ethanol production from starchy biomass with the use of amylolytic industrial yeast strains.ResultsRecombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y294 laboratory strains simultaneously expressing an α-amylase and glucoamylase gene were screened to identify the best enzyme combination for raw starch hydrolysis. The codon optimised Talaromyces emersonii glucoamylase encoding gene (temG_Opt) and the native T. emersonii α-amylase encoding gene (temA) were selected for expression in two industrial S. cerevisiae yeast strains, namely Ethanol Red™ (hereafter referred to as the ER) and M2n. Two δ-integration gene cassettes were constructed to allow for the simultaneous multiple integrations of the temG_Opt and temA genes into the yeasts’ genomes. During the fermentation of 200 g l−1 raw corn starch, the amylolytic industrial strains were able to ferment raw corn starch to ethanol in a single step with high ethanol yields. After 192 h at 30 °C, the S. cerevisiae ER T12 and M2n T1 strains (containing integrated temA and temG_Opt gene cassettes) produced 89.35 and 98.13 g l−1 ethanol, respectively, corresponding to estimated carbon conversions of 87 and 94%, respectively. The addition of a commercial granular starch enzyme cocktail in combination with the amylolytic yeast allowed for a 90% reduction in exogenous enzyme dosage, compared to the conventional simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) control experiment with the parental industrial host strains.ConclusionsA novel amylolytic enzyme combination has been produced by two industrial S. cerevisiae strains. These recombinant strains represent potential drop-in CBP yeast substitutes for the existing conventional and raw starch fermentation processes.

PT05.5: Clinical Application of Raw Corn Starch-Based Diet in Patients with Insulinoma: A Before-After Prospective Study

PT05.5: Clinical Application of Raw Corn Starch-Based Diet in Patients with Insulinoma: A Before-After Prospective Study

Pre-blanching corn and pressurization effects on the physicochemical and microbiological qualities of corn milk

A corn milk was developed by pre-blanching corn with drinking water at either 70 or 80 °C, and the blanching water was used to extract the blanched corn seeds for corn milk BC70 or BC80, respectively. The corn milk extract was subsequently pressurized at 300–500 MPa for 10–30 min at 30 °C. Pressurized corn milk was then subjected to physicochemical and microbiological assessments for color, enzymatic activities, viscosity, microbial counts and flavor volatile components. The ΔE showed that pressure of 300 MPa–500 MPa had no effect on corn milk color, while heat induced marked change of ΔE which were visible. Moreover, pre-blanching corn and pressurization at 500 MPa increased inactivation of peroxidase, lipoxygenase and polyphenoloxidase >70–90% as well as the activity of trypsin inhibitor for >90%. Furthermore, BC80 following pressurization at 500 MPa/30 min led to more gelatinization of corn starch and increase viscosity. Additionally, BC80 following pressurization at 500 MPa for 20 and 30 min eliminated total microbes and bacilli. More volatile components from raw corn milk were retained in BC70 compared with BC80. Meanwhile, most volatiles present in BC80 were not associated with the raw corn milk, but were found with pre-blanching of the corn kernel.

Sulfurized biochar prepared by simplified technic with superior adsorption property towards aqueous Hg(II) and adsorption mechanisms

The biomass-based sulfurized biochar (CSS) that was prepared by co-heating sublimed sulfur and raw corn stalk in relatively low temperature (450 °C) and heating duration (15 min) showed an excellent adsorption property towards aqueous Hg(II) and was evaluated for its Hg(II) adsorption behavior and mechanism. Meanwhile, biochar-based sulfurized biochar (BCS) produced by co-heating sublimed sulfur and corn stalk biochar would be used for comparison. The results showed that the sulfur content of CSS and BCS was 7.4 and 2.2 wt% and the maximum Hg(II) adsorption capacity of CSS and BCS were 268.5 and 117.7 mg g−1. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy data suggested that the species of functional groups for Hg(II) adsorption on sulfurized biochar might be hydroxy, C=S and sulfoxide groups, etc. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results showed that the dominant existing forms of sulfur on sulfurized biochar were alkyl sulphides and sulphone groups along with thiophene and inorganic sulfur. The XPS data also verified the complexation between Hg(II) and CSS by forming irreversible Hg–S and Hg–O bond. Our research suggested that CSS processed more sulfur-containing groups with greater affinity to Hg(II) than BCS, and Hg(II) was stable adsorbed via complexation with hydroxy, C=S and sulfoxide groups in CSS by forming Hg–S and Hg–O bond.

Purification and Characterization of α-amylase from a Novel Thermoalkalophilic Strain of Bacillus sonorensis GV2 Isolated from Mushroom Compost

A novel thermoalkalophilic α-amylase producing bacterial strain Bacillus sonorensis GV2 |KJ775811.1| was isolated from mushroom compost. The purification of α-amylase was performed through different chromatography techniques. After purification with SDS-PAGE and Sephadex G-75 gel filtration, the molecular weight of monomeric α-amylase was found to be 45 kDa. The enzyme showed an optimal activity over a wide range of temperature and pH of 35-60oC and 7-11, respectively. The effect of divalent ions i.e. Mg2+ and Ca2+ showed a positive increase in enzyme activity. This enzyme is unique in a sense that it also exhibited a considerable raw corn starch hydrolyzing activity at 55oC. The end products when subjected to TLC which were identified as main maltooligosaccharides, proving the endo action of an enzyme. The Vmax and Km values of Bacillus sonorensis GV2 α-amylase were found to be 1347 μmol/mg/min and 3.46 mMol/ml. The MALDI peptide mass fingerprint analysis of the reduced and carboxymethylated amylase digested with chymotrypsin indicated that this partial amino acid sequence was homologous by a score of 6 with UDP transferalyase. All these findings suggests about the potential role of this α-amylase for raw starch degrading applications in the relevant industry.

Microwave-assisted hydrothermal carbonization of corn stalk for solid biofuel production: Optimization of process parameters and characterization of hydrochar

The optimization of microwave-assisted hydrothermal carbonization for corn stalk was conducted to study the effects of reaction temperature (122.7–257.3 °C), residence time (4.8–55.2 min), and biomass loading (0.98–6.02 g/50 mL H2O) using the response surface methodology. The hydrochars produced from hydrothermal carbonization of cork stalk under different reaction conditions were characterized to understand their physical, chemical, and structural properties. Statistical analysis shows that the carbonization temperature is the dominant parameter determining the product yield as well as heating value and quality of hydrochar. Due to the interactive effects amongst the process parameters, hydrochar mass yield and heating value cannot be maximized simultaneously. The highest energy yield under the predicted optimum conditions of 181.9 °C, 39.7 min and 3.8 g/50 mL H2O reached 80.55%. The higher heating value of 22.82 MJ/kg was observed at 230 °C, 45 min and 2 g/50 mL H2O, which is 41% higher than that of the raw corn stalk. The characterization results reveal that the microwave-assisted hydrothermal carbonization is a viable process for producing hydrochar, which can be used as a direct solid fuel or auxiliary fuel.

Optimization of photo fermentation in corn stalk through phosphate additive

Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for microbial growth which effectively influences the bio‑hydrogen production process. In the present study, the effect of phosphate concentration on simultaneous saccharification fermentation (SSF) hydrogen production by phototrophic microbial consortium has been investigated at various initial pH conditions (6, 7 and 8). The experimental results show that the hydrogen yield has been improved through the addition of phosphate, depending on initial pH and phosphate concentration. The maximum hydrogen yield of 63.09 ± 0.38 mL/g TS and highest energy conversion efficiency of 4.14 ± 0.02% from raw corn stalk were achieved at the phosphate concentration of 4 mmol/L with initial pH value of 6. We have shown that hydrogen yield for raw corn stalk can be enhanced by selecting appropriate amount of the additive. These results may help in optimization of the hydrogen production yield at industrial scale.

Use of agroindustrial byproducts as substrate for production of carotenoids with antioxidant potential by wild yeasts

Abstract In order to produce carotenoids with antioxidant potential from the wild yeast Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Sporidiobolus pararoseus and Pichia fermentans, isolated from the ecosystem of Escudo Sul-Rio Grandense (Brazil), cultivations were performed with: raw glycerol and corn steep liquor (M1), sugar cane molasses and corn steep liquor (M2) and Yeast Malt (YM) broth. Production of β-carotene more than 63% was obtained in all the experiments. The antioxidant activity of the extracts was analyzed by the methods DPPH, ABTS and FRAP. S. pararoseus is highlighted, showing 635 and 830 μg.L−1 of carotenoids in M1 and M2, respectively. The extracts of P. fermentans in M2 were promising in relation to the antioxidant activity, presented results not reported in the literature until the present moment. Based on these results and the importance of obtaining carotenoid compounds from alternative sources, the proposed means, as well as the yeasts used, were shown to be promising choices. The use of agroindustrials media and microorganisms isolated from the ecosystems intensify the importance of this study providing new sources of biocompounds from the biodiversity and biotechnological potential of Brazil.

Effect of headspace gas composition on carboxylates production in open-culture fermentation of corn stover

In open-culture fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass, the gas composition in the fermentor headspace can suppress or favor certain fermentation pathways and thereby alter product concentrations. This study focuses on the effect of hydrogen and carbon dioxide concentrations in the headspace of open-culture fermentation of raw corn stover (80%) and chicken manure (20%). Four headspace gas compositions were evaluated at 2.05 × 105 Pa (abs): pure hydrogen, pure carbon dioxide, mixture of hydrogen and carbon dioxide (1:1), and pure nitrogen (control). Using pure hydrogen in the headspace increased the acetic acid equivalents by 13%, but did not change the product spectrum considerably. Using pure carbon dioxide in the headspace reduced the acetic acid equivalents by 4%, but shifted the acid spectrum from short toward medium-chain carboxylic acids. Using hydrogen:carbon dioxide (1:1) in the fermentor headspace increased the acetic acid equivalents by 29%.

Application of Raw Corn Starch on Patients With Insulinoma

Application of Raw Corn Starch on Patients With Insulinoma

AmyZ1: a novel \u03b1-amylase from marine bacterium Pontibacillus sp. ZY with high activity toward raw starches

BackgroundStarch is an inexpensive and renewable raw material for numerous industrial applications. However, most starch-based products are not cost-efficient due to high-energy input needed in traditional enzymatic starch conversion processes. Therefore, α-amylase with high efficiency to directly hydrolyze high concentration raw starches at a relatively lower temperature will have a profound impact on the efficient application of starch.ResultsA novel raw starch digesting α-amylase (named AmyZ1) was screened and cloned from a deep-sea bacterium Pontibacillus sp. ZY. Phylogenetic analysis showed that AmyZ1 was a member of subfamily 5 of glycoside hydrolase family 13. When expressed in Escherichia coli, the recombinant AmyZ1 showed high activity at pH 6.0–7.5 and 25–50 °C. Its optimal pH and temperature were 7.0 and 35 °C, respectively. Similar to most α-amylases, AmyZ1 activity was enhanced (2.4-fold) by 1.0 mM Ca2+. Its half-life time at 35 °C was also extended from about 10 min to 100 min. In comparison, AmyZ1 showed a broad substrate specificity toward raw starches, including those derived from rice, corn, and wheat. The specific activity of AmyZ1 towards raw rice starch was 12,621 ± 196 U/mg, much higher than other reported raw starch hydrolases. When used in raw starch hydrolyzing process, AmyZ1 hydrolyzed 52%, 47% and 38% of 30% (w/v) rice, corn, and wheat starch after 4 h incubation. It can also hydrolyze marine raw starch derived from Chlorella pyrenoidosa, resulting in 50.9 mg/g DW (dry weight of the biomass) of reducing sugars after 4 h incubation at 35 °C. Furthermore, when hydrolyzing raw corn starch using the combination of AmyZ1 and commercial glucoamylase, the hydrolysis rate reached 75% after 4.5 h reaction, notably higher than that obtained in existing starch-processing industries.ConclusionsAs a novel raw starch-digesting α-amylase with high specific activity, AmyZ1 efficiently hydrolyzed raw starches derived from both terrestrial and marine environments at near ambient temperature, suggesting its application potential in starch-based industrial processes.

Effect of High-Energy Milling on Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity in Nixtamalized Creole Corn Flours.

This study aimed at evaluating the effect of high-energy milling (HEM) and traditional nixtamalization (TN) on bioactive compounds and antioxidant capacity in nixtamalized creole corn flours obtained from a maize genotype cultivated under rainy temporal conditions in the Mexican semidesert. Four creole grains, including San José de Gracia white and blue (WG and BG), Negritas (NG), and Ahualulco white corn grains (SG), were used. For HEM nixtamalization, corn grains were hammer-milled; then, two different conditions were evaluated: treatment H1, with raw flours with 14% moisture content and 1.1% Ca(OH)2, and treatment H2, with raw corn flours with a 23% moisture content and 1.4% Ca(OH)2. The TN process was utilized as a control. TN recorded significant losses in luminosity value L* (p< 0.05), while HEM nixtamalized blue corn flours remained close to -b* values, that is, near to those of raw flour. Anthocyanin content showed higher content values in HEM treatments compared with TN (759.55 and 252.53mg cyanidin 3-O-β-D-glucoside (C3G)/kg, respectively) (p< 0.05). Total soluble phenolic content was higher in HEM nixtamalization compared with the traditional process, except for WH2 and SH2 (H2 treatment for WG and SG). Two redundant radical scavenging assays were used: antioxidant capacity (DPPH assay) exhibited less value in nixtamalized flours than in raw flour (p< 0.05). Antioxidant activity by (ABTS) assay was higher in HEM than in TN. Nixtamalized flours produced by HEM demonstrated more improvement in nutraceutical properties than those produced employing TN.

Physicochemical properties of partially α-glucan-coated normal corn starch formed by amylosucrase from Neisseria polysaccharea

Amylosucrase (AS) is a glycosyltransferase that produces linear α-1,4 glucans using sucrose as the sole substrate. In this study, for various applications, α-glucan-coated starch (α-GCS) was produced by AS (20 U/Lreactant) from Neisseria polysaccharea to improve the physicochemical properties of raw normal corn starch (NCS) by applying different reaction conditions (i.e., varying the substrate concentration, pH, and temperature). Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that raw NCS was successfully coated by α-glucan. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and rapid viscosity analyses (RVA) of the α-GCS confirmed that the α-glucan coating decreased the degree of retrogradation. Notably, compared to raw NCS as a control, starch retrogradation was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased by 13.7% after five weeks. Therefore, the novel α-GCS can be applied as a functional material for controlled retrogradation in the starch-based food industry for shelf-life extension.

Pyrolysis biochar has negligible effects on soil greenhouse gas production, microbial communities, plant germination, and initial seedling growth

Biochar has been promoted as a soil amendment that enhances soil quality and agronomic productivity and reduces greenhouse gas production. However, these benefits are not always realized. A major hurdle to the beneficial use of biochar is our limited knowledge regarding the mechanisms directing its effects on soil systems. This project aimed to eliminate some of this uncertainty by examining the biological responses (plant productivity, greenhouse gas production, soil microbial community structure) of a suite of soils (10) to the addition of biochars produced by different processes (pyrolysis, gasification, burning) from a range of feedstocks (corn stalks, hardwood, grass). Results indicated that these three responses were not significantly impacted by the addition of pyrolysis biochars from different feedstocks at 1 and 5% (w/w) addition levels. On the other hand, both an open-air burned corn stalk (5%) and raw corn stalks (1 and 5%) additions did alter the measured soil functionality. For example, the 5% burnt corn stalks addition reduced total above ground plant biomass (∼30%), increased observed N2O production by an order of magnitude, and altered soil bacterial community structure. The bacterial groups that increased in relative abundance in the burnt corn stalks-amended soils included families associated with cellulose decomposition (Chitinophagaceae), plant pathogens (Xanthomonadaceae), and biochar/charcoal-amended media (Gemmatimonadetes). In contrast, the abundance of these bacterial groups was not impacted by the pyrolysis biochars. Therefore, this research suggests that pyrolysis biochar represents a stabilized form of carbon that is resistant to microbial mineralization and has negligible effects on soil biological responses.

Improving cellulosic ethanol fermentation efficiency by converting endogenous water-soluble carbohydrates into citric acid before pretreatment.

Water-soluble carbohydrates in raw lignocellulosic biomass are converted into hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in the acid-based pretreatment, thus increasing the detoxification intensity and reducing the fermentation efficiency of cellulosic ethanol. Therefore, reducing water-soluble carbohydrates in raw corn stover is crucially important to reduce the inhibitors' generation and improve the ethanol fermentation efficiency. In this study, aerobic solid-state fermentation of corn stover by inoculating Aspergillus niger spores converted 83% of the endogenous water-soluble carbohydrates into citric acid, leading to the decrease of 41% of HMF generation and 8% of sulfuric acid usage during the dry acid pretreatment. The reduced inhibitor generation improved the ethanol fermentability by 11% more ethanol than that of the corn stover without water-soluble carbohydrates' removal. This suggests that the removal of the water-soluble carbohydrates before pretreatment significantly reduced the inhibitors' generation in pretreatment and improved the fermentation efficiency of cellulosic ethanol.

Effects of Air Flowrate on the Combustion and Emissions of Blended Corn Straw and Pinewood Wastes

This research investigated the effects of the specific primary (under-fire) air flowrate (m˙air) on the combustion behavior of a 50–50 wt % blend of raw corn straw (CS) and raw pinewood wastes in a fixed-bed reactor. This parameter was varied in the range of 0.079–0.226 kg m−2 s−1, which changed the overall combustion stoichiometry from air-lean (excess air coefficient λ = 0.73) to air-rich (excess air coefficient λ = 1.25) and affected the combustion efficiency and stability as well as the emissions of hazardous pollutants. It was observed that by increasing m˙air, the ignition delay time first increased and then decreased, the average bed temperatures increased, both the average flame propagation rates and the fuel burning rates increased, and the combustion efficiencies also increased. The emissions of CO as well as those of cumulative gas phase nitrogen compounds increased, the latter mostly because of increasing HCN, while those of NO were rather constant. The emissions of HCl decreased but those of other chlorine-containing species increased. The effect of m˙air on the conversion of sulfur to SO2 was minor. By considering all of the aforesaid factors, a mildly overall air-rich (fuel-lean) (λ = 1.04) operating condition can be suggested for corn-straw/pinewood burning fixed-bed grate-fired reactors.

Improved raw starch amylase production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae using codon optimisation strategies.

Amylases are used in a variety of industries that have a specific need for alternative enzymes capable of hydrolysing raw starch. Five α-amylase and five glucoamylase-encoding genes were expressed in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Y294 laboratory strain to select for recombinant strains that best hydrolysed raw corn starch. Gene variants of four amylases were designed using codon optimisation and different secretion signals. The significant difference in activity levels among the gene variants confirms that codon optimisation of fungal genes for expression in S. cerevisiae does not guarantee improved recombinant protein production. The codon-optimised glucoamylase variant from Talaromyces emersonii (temG_Opt) yielded 3.3-fold higher extracellular activity relative to the native temG, whereas the codon-optimised T. emersonii α-amylase (temA_Opt) yielded 1.6-fold more extracellular activity than the native temA. The effect of four terminator sequences was also investigated using temG and temG_Opt as reporter genes, with the ALY2T terminator resulting in a 14% increase in glucoamylase activity relative to the gene cassettes containing the ENO1T terminator. This is the first report of engineered S. cerevisiae strains to express T. emersonii amylase variants, and these enzymes may have potential applications in the industrial conversion of raw starch under fermentation conditions.

Superior Au-adsorption performance of aminothiourea-modified waste cellulosic biomass

Waste cellulosic biomass obtains various applications due to low-cost and eco-benign characteristics. A general strategy is proposed for waste cellulosic biomass to be modified with dialdehyde functional groups as intermediates through periodate partial oxidation. Finally, aminothiourea-modified waste cellulosic biomass can be prepared through Schiff reaction. Waste corn stalk, cotton and paper as typical precursors, were used to prepare cellulosic biomass, abbreviated as AT-S, AT-C and AT-P, respectively, and their adsorption behaviors of Au(III) from the hydrochloric acid medium were investigated. The pseudo-second kinetics equation as well as the Langmuir isotherm equation can be used to depict the adsorption process, and the maximum adsorption capacities of Au(III) are 21.4, 19.0 and 3.28 mol/kg for AT-S, AT-C and AT-P at 298 K, respectively. The adsorption capacities of Au(III) on aminothiourea modified corn stalk (AT-S) is almost 357 times greater than that of raw corn stalk. To the best of our knowledge, AT-S has the highest adsorption capacity towards Au(III). AT-S also displays a superior separation selectivity towards Au(III) in the presence of Cu(II), Ni(II), Co(II), Pt(VI), Pd(II) and Rh(III). Furthermore, the characterization analysis of XRD, TG, SEM, TEM and FTIR confirms that AuCl4– has been reduced to elemental Au nanoparticles and deposit onto the surface of the biomass. It shows a prospect for waste corn stalk to be used to adsorb Au(III) from liquid phase and the possible fabrication of gold nanoparticles by a general adsorption process without any reductant.