Retention of provitamin A carotenoids in high beta-carotene maize (Zea mays) during traditional African household processing.
High beta-carotene maize, biofortified with beta-carotene through plant breeding, is being developed as a cost-effective, sustainable agronomic approach to alleviating the problem of vitamin A deficiency in Africa. We used high beta-carotene maize (10.49+/-0.16 microg beta-carotene/g) to prepare traditional maize porridges and compared the carotenoid contents in the following: (1) whole kernels; (2) wet milled flour; (3) wet milled flour, fermented; (4) wet milled flour, cooked; (5) wet milled flour, fermented and cooked. The cumulative losses of beta-carotene in the final, cooked products were 24.5% (95% CI 22.8-26.2%) and 24.8% (95% CI 23.1-26.5%), for the fermented and unfermented porridges, respectively. Thus, fermentation, a traditional technology with documented nutritional and other health benefits, does not adversely affect the retention of beta-carotene in porridges prepared with high beta-carotene maize. The relatively good retention of beta-carotene during traditional maize processing provides additional experimental support for the feasibility of maize biofortification as a means to alleviate vitamin A deficiency.
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and Center for Designing Foods to Improve Nutrition, Iowa State University, Ames 50011, USA.
Shanshan
S
Li
Francis A K
FA
Tayie
Melissa F
MF
Young
Torbert
T
Rocheford
Wendy S
WS
White
D000349:Africa; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000032:analysis*; D005285:Fermentation; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000032:analysis*; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000032:analysis*
D019207:beta Carotene; D014867:Water; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids