Effect of drying temperature on antioxidant activity of white and red maize (Zea mays L.) seeds

Abstract

Maize is the most commonly consumed cereal in the world. Its various compounds are associated with nutraceutical properties and health-promoting benefits. Therefore, maize seeds are considered to be functional food with high antioxidant activities. The drying conditions have a huge impact on maintaining the seed quality. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of temperature on the antioxidant activities of white and red maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars. A drying time of 1 h at a temperature of 45 °C was tested. The antioxidant activity expressed in percentages was evaluated as radical scavenging activity using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) reagent. The results revealed that the antioxidant activity of the dried white seeds (74.08 %) was not significantly different (p>0.005) with respect to the un-dried seeds used as control (72.6 %). Contrary, drying at 45 °C caused a significant (p<0.005) rise of antioxidant activity in the red-coloured seeds' being 85.95 % and 92.25 % before and after the treatment, respectively. The obtained results show that the antioxidant activity may be a reliable indicator for the estimation of the cereal seeds’ quality, which is useful in the food industry and agriculture.