title: Phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity in four Italian traditional maize (Zea mays L.) varieties.
abstract: Flours of four pigmented (from orange to red and dark red) local Italian corns, studied for their soluble, soluble conjugate, and insoluble-bound phenols and flavonoids, showed a prevalence of the insoluble-bound fraction (70-80%). Correlations were found between the flours antioxidant capacity, measured with CUPRAC, FRAP, and DPPH methods, and soluble phenols and flavonoids content. A correlation was also found between ascorbic acid content and flours antioxidant power. Anthocyanins were present in small amounts in the red/dark red seeds; however, acid-alcohol assays and spectral analyses of pericarp extracts indicated the presence of red-brick phlobaphenes in these varieties. Spectrophotometrically quantified total carotenoids were significantly higher in one of the local varieties (Nano); RP-HPLC analyses indicated that the local varieties contained significantly higher amounts of zeaxanthin and β-carotene, and lower amounts of lutein, than a commercial line. Among local varieties, Nano expressed the highest levels of zeaxanthin, β-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin.
authors.affiliation: a Dipartimento di Biologia , Università degli Studi di Pisa , Pisa , Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capocchi
authors.affiliation: a Dipartimento di Biologia , Università degli Studi di Pisa , Pisa , Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bottega
authors.affiliation: a Dipartimento di Biologia , Università degli Studi di Pisa , Pisa , Italy.|b Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca "Nutraceutica e Alimentazione per la Salute" NUTRAFOOD , Pisa , Italy.
authors.forename: Carmelina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Spanò
authors.affiliation: a Dipartimento di Biologia , Università degli Studi di Pisa , Pisa , Italy.|b Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca "Nutraceutica e Alimentazione per la Salute" NUTRAFOOD , Pisa , Italy.
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fontanini
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000737:chemistry; D005504:Food Analysis; D005838:Genotype; D007558:Italy; D010636:Phenols / Q000737:chemistry; D064209:Phytochemicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D010636:Phenols; D064209:Phytochemicals; D002338:Carotenoids; D001205:Ascorbic Acid
keywords: Antioxidant capacity; ascorbic acid; carotenoids; phenolics; phlobaphenes; traditional variety; Zea mays L.