Dielectric determination of bio‐ and free‐calcium in commercial alkaline‐cooked ground corn |
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| Authors: | Susana Vargas Miriam Estevez Angel R. Hernandez‐Martinez Domingo Rangel Francisco Quintanilla Rogelio Rodriguez |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Centro de Fisica Aplicada y Tecnologia Avanzada, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, A.P. 1‐1010, Querétaro, Qro. 76000, México;2. Divison Ciencias de la Salud, UVM, Campus Juriquilla, Queretaro, Qro., Mexico;3. Divison Ciencias de la Salud, UVM, Campus Juriquilla, Queretaro, Qro., Mexico |
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| Abstract: | Using dielectric measurements, it was possible to determine the concentration of bio‐ and free‐calcium in a corn dough prepared mixing commercial powder of alkaline‐cooked ground‐corn kernel (maize), Zea mays, with different concentrations of Ca(OH)2 and the same amount of water. This allows determining the conditions to obtain dough with high bio‐calcium content and consequently high nutritional value. The samples were placed in the interior of a small parallel‐plate capacitor. The capacitance and the cell current profiles were obtained with the corresponding relaxation times as a function of the Ca concentration. With this information, it was possible to determine the threshold concentration at which the Ca ions are not longer linked chemically to the cornstarch molecules and move freely in the interior of the dough. A model based on the ionic conductivity was developed to explain the dependence of the relaxation times with the Ca concentration. |
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| Keywords: | Alkaline cooking bio‐calcium free‐calcium ground corn nixtamalisation |
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