Comparative study for the determination of nutritional composition in commercial and noncommercial maize flours

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional analysis of the commercially available white maize flours and noncommercial yellow maize flour obtained from the grains of the maize grown at University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan. The proximate chemical composition, minerals calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), sodium (Na) and zinc (Zn) and were determined in white and yellow maize flours. In the dry weight basis white maize flours significantly (p<0.05) contained moisture 9-15 %, ash 1.4-2.6%, protein 7.82-12.02%, crude fiber 0.95-2.01%, and total carbohydrates 65.38-78.74% and yellow maize flour significantly (p<0.05) contained moisture 17%,ash 3.3%, protein 12.45%, crude fiber 2.97%, and total carbohydrates 60.23%. The detection of inorganic selective nutrients (Mg, K, Na, Ca, Mn, Zn, Fe, Cu) was performed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results of ICP-MS analysis in white and yellow maize flours revealed that yellow maize flour contains 16, 26.21, 7.43, 5.29, 1.40, 2.11 times higher value of Mg, K Mn, Zn, Fe and Cu as compared to white maize flours, where as white maize flours contain 1.50, 1.02 times higher value of Na and Ca as compared to yellow maize flour obtained from the grains of the maize grown at University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.