Nutritional, physicochemical and anatomical evaluation of creole corn varieties from the region of the Costa Chica of Guerrero

Abstract Corn (Zea mays) is the most consumed cereal in México, so it is necessary to know the nutritional and anatomical quality of the grains, which have been the main conservation and consumption criteria of the prehispanic peoples. This practice has allowed to preserve varieties of Creole corn, however, due to the lack of knowledge of these characteristics the cultivation of these maize has been reduced, presenting a high risk of disappearing. The objective was to determine the physical, nutritive and functional quality of four varieties of creole corn: Purple-Olotillo, Dos-Puntas, Toro and Olotillo. Toro presented the highest values of width and thickness (10.79 and 7.71 mm). The Toro showed better values of Endosperm and Pericarp (84.25% and 4.01%), Dos-Puntas and Olotillo showed higher values of Germ (10.75%) and Pericarp (6.2%), respectively. The Toro had a higher content of Carbohydrates and Proteins (74.47 and 10.61%). In WSI, the best value was obtained by Dos-Puntas (11.91%) and WAI the Olotillo (245.56 g H2O/g sample). It is concluded that the Toro has better nutritional content and larger and weight grains, while the Olotillo presented the highest values of WAI, it can confer better technological properties for food processing.

玉米（Zea mays）是墨西哥消费量最高的谷类作物，因此明确籽粒的营养与解剖品质具有重要意义——此类品质曾是前哥伦布时期原住民开展种质保存与食用选择的核心评判标准。这一传统保留了诸多克里奥尔玉米（Creole corn）品种，但由于对上述品质特性认知匮乏，这类玉米的种植规模持续缩减，面临极高的灭绝风险。本研究旨在探究4个克里奥尔玉米品种：紫奥洛蒂洛（Purple-Olotillo）、多斯蓬塔斯（Dos-Puntas）、托罗（Toro）与奥洛蒂洛（Olotillo）的物理、营养与功能品质。测试结果显示，托罗品种的籽粒宽度与厚度最高，分别达10.79 mm与7.71 mm；其胚乳（Endosperm）与果皮（Pericarp）占比亦表现最优，分别为84.25%与4.01%。多斯蓬塔斯的胚（Germ）占比最高（10.75%），奥洛蒂洛的果皮占比则为各组最高（6.2%）。托罗的碳水化合物与蛋白质含量同样位列各组之首，分别为74.47%与10.61%。在水溶解度指数（WSI, Water Solubility Index）方面，多斯蓬塔斯表现最佳，其值为11.91%；而水吸附指数（WAI, Water Absorption Index）的最优值由奥洛蒂洛获得，达245.56 g H₂O/g样品。综上，托罗品种兼具更优异的营养组成与更大更重的籽粒；而奥洛蒂洛的水吸附指数最高，可为食品加工赋予更优良的技术特性。