Publication no. C-2001-0206-01R |  VIEW ARTICLE

Kinetic Approach to Nixtamalization of Corn Pericarp.

Ricardo Martínez (1-3), Silvia Mendoza (1), Edilso Reguera (1), Pedro Ortiz (1), and José de la Luz Martínez (1). (1) Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada del Instituto Politécnico Nacional. Legaria 694 Col. Irrigación. México DF C.P. 11500 México. (2) Permanent address: University of La Habana, IMRE-Chemistry Faculty, Zapata e/ Mazón y G, Habana 10400 Cuba. (3) Corresponding author. E-mail: <ricardo@fq.uh.cu> Fax: (707) 220-0710. Phone: (537) 782369 ext. 31. Cereal Chem. 78(2):107-110. Accepted October 18, 2000. Copyright 2001 American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc.

The nixtamalization of the pericarp isolated from grains of corn was studied with 2, 5, 10, 20 and 40% Ca(OH)(2) based upon the mass of the pericarp. For 2 and 5% Ca(OH)(2) a small loss of the mass of the pericarp takes place quickly which is accompanied by an abrupt fall of the concentration of the OH(^-) ions. A suitable kinetic model for the decrease of the mass of the pericarp is a two phases exponential equation. The second phase is the slowest and it depends on the quantity of Ca(OH)(2) employed.