Composition analysis of lysine, tryptophan and provitamin-A during different stages of kernel development in biofortified sweet corn

• Published in: Journal of food composition and analysis 2020-12, Vol.94, p.103625, Article 103625
• Main Authors: Mehta, Brijesh K., Muthusamy, Vignesh, Baveja, Aanchal, Chauhan, Hema S., Chhabra, Rashmi, Bhatt, Vinay, Chand, Gulab, Zunjare, Rajkumar U., Singh, Ashok K., Hossain, Firoz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carotenoid; Harvest time; Lysine; Provitamin A; Sowing time; Sweet corn; Tryptophan
• ISSN: 0889-1575; 1096-0481
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2020.103625

•Biofortified sweet corn hybrids were analysed at different harvest and sowing time.•These hybrids possessed significantly higher provitamin A, lysine and tryptophan.•20 days after pollination was the ideal harvest time for nutritional traits.•Late sowing during rainy season favoured accumulation of nutrients in sweet corn.•This study holds significance in harnessing the nutritional benefit of sweet corn. Traditional sweet corn is poor in nutritional quality. Here, a set of biofortified sweet corn hybrids were analyzed for nutritional traits at 20-, 24- and 28- days after pollination (DAP) under three sowing dates. The biofortified hybrids possessed significantly higher lysine (0.34 %), tryptophan (0.08 %), β-carotene (BC: 13.77 μg/g), β-cryptoxanthin (BCX: 11.19 μg/g) and provitamin-A (proA: 19.38 μg/g) over traditional yellow sweet corn (0.21 %, 0.03 %, 1.96 μg/g, 2.32 μg/g and 3.12 μg/g). Sowing time, harvest time and their interactions had significant influence on nutritional traits. Decreasing trend of accumulation for lysine (0.367 %, 0.345 % and 0.315 %), tryptophan (0.086 %, 0.078 % and 0.068 %), BC (15.18 μg/g, 14.00 μg/g and 12.12 μg/g), BCX (12.28 μg/g, 11.48 μg/g and 9.82 μg/g) and proA (21.32 μg/g, 19.74 μg/g and 17.07 μg/g) was observed at 20-, 24- and 28-DAP, respectively. However, mean brix attained the peak at 24-DAP (18.53 %), followed by 20-DAP (17.86 %) and 28-DAP (17.60 %). Considering both nutrition and sweetness, 20-DAP was the best suitable time for harvesting of sweet corn ears. Nutritional traits had higher concentration with delay in sowing time. This is the first report on accumulation of lysine, tryptophan and proA at different stages of kernel development in biofortified sweet corn.