Author(s)

Josiane Adjobignon Semassa^1,2, Victor Bienvenu Anihouvi^1*, Adolphe Adjanohoun³, Wilfrid Padonou^1,4, Joachim Gbénou⁵, Lamine Baba-Moussa²

¹Laboratoire des Sciences des Aliments, Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Bénin.
²Laboratoire de Biologie et de Typage Moléculaire en Microbiologie, Département de Biochimie et de Biologie Cellulaire, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Bénin.
³Centre de Recherches Agricoles Sud, Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin, Attogon, Bénin.
⁴Programme Technologie Agricole et Alimentaire, Centre de Recherches Agricoles d’Agonkanmey, Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin, Abomey-Calavi, Bénin.
⁵Laboratoire de Pharmacognosie et des huiles essentielles, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université d’Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Bénin.

Objective: The study aims to investigate some physical and technological parameters of varieties of maize collected from the most representative areas of maize production in the southern part of Benin, and mainly used by the populations of those areas. Method: The chemical composition, physical and technological characteristics of the grains were determined using standard methods. Results: The results showed that the weight of 1000 grains ranges from 158.01 to 305.12 g, the length from 0.79 to 1.81 cm, the average width from 0.74 to 1.51 cm, thickness from 0.36 to 0.85 cm and density from 1.07 to 1.25. Regarding the technological parameters, the hardness of the grains before and after cooking was between 16.78 and 47.20 kgf, and 0.23 and 0.71 kgf respectively, while the cooking time varies from 71.00 and 158.33 mn. There was a positive and significant correlation (r = 0.405; p < 0.026) between the hardness after cooking and the weight of 1000 grains, between the hardness after cooking and grain width (r = 0.460; p < 0.011). A positive and highly significant correlation (r = 0.527, p < 0.003) was also observed between the hardness after cooking and the grain length, between the hardness after cooking and the thickness of grain (r = 0.476, p < 0.008), and between the grain density and the weight of 1000 grains (r = 0.481, p < 0.007). A positive and highly significant correlation (r = 0.923, p < 0.000) was also observed between maize grain length and width, and between grain length and grain thickness (r = 0.764, p < 0.000) and between the width and thickness (r = 0.764, p < 0.000). On the other hand, a significant negative correlation (r = -0.394, p < 0.031) was found between the hardness before cooking and the thickness and between the hardness before cooking and sphericity index (r = -0465*, p < 0.010). Conclusion: Through its chemical and technological characteristics the maize constitutes an important raw material for many culinary recipes in West African region.

Maize, Physical Characteristics, Technological Parameters, Chemical Parameters

Semassa, J. , Bienvenu Anihouvi, V. , Adjanohoun, A. , Padonou, W. , Gbénou, J. and Baba-Moussa, L. (2016) Physical and Technological Parameters of Maize Varieties (Zea mays L.) Grown in the Southern Parts of Benin and the Influence of Chemical Composition. Food and Nutrition Sciences, 7, 1386-1400. doi: 10.4236/fns.2016.714126.