title: Microwave drying of germinated corn and its effect on phytochemical properties.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Drying is a preservation method that removes or reduces the moisture content of a product. This process can affect the nutritional properties of agricultural crops. Therefore this research sought to investigate the effect of microwave drying power (100-700 W) on the drying rate, effective diffusivity, β-carotene content (BCC), total flavonoid content (TFC), total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity of sprouted corn, which can be applied as a rich antioxidant source.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With increasing microwave drying power from 100 to 700 W, the effective diffusivity was in the range from 1.50 × 10-6to 1.81 × 10-5m2s-1, while BCC ranged from 614.20 ± 3.10 to 229.90 ± 1.00 µg β-carotene equivalent g-1dry weight (DW), decreasing gradually by 62.57%. Meanwhile, TPC and TFC of samples dried at 300 W were the highest, with levels of 315.94 ± 0.69 mg gallic acid equivalent g-1DW and 190.16 ± 1.33 mg catechin equivalent g-1DW respectively, which were higher by 8.66 and 98.97% as compared with samples dried at 100 W. Similar development was found in the antioxidant ability of germinated corn.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Drying at a microwave power of 300 W provided the highest nutritive and antioxidant values. The results of this study are useful in the selection of optimal drying conditions during microwave drying of germinated corn, as a baseline for other agricultural crops. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, Suratthani Rajabhat University, Surat Thani, Thailand.
authors.forename: Oraporn
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bualuang
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural and Food Engineering, University of Uyo, Uyo, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Daniel Iroemeha
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Onwude
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, Suratthani Rajabhat University, Surat Thani, Thailand.
authors.forename: Kwanta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pracha
mesh_terms: D005511:Food Handling; D018525:Germination; D008872:Microwaves; D064209:Phytochemicals / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D064209:Phytochemicals; D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: antioxidant activity; germinated corn; microwave drying; total flavonoid; total phenolic; β-carotene