Comparison of Carotenoid Composition in Immature and Mature Grains of Corn (Zea Mays L.) Varieties

The objective of this study was to compare the carotenoid composition of sweet and waxy corn grains at the stage of milk and dough by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, using a C(30) column, connected to diode array detector and mass spectrometry. In the reverse phase 21 carotenoids were found, the major identified carotenoids were all-trans-lutein, all-trans-zeaxanthin, and all-trans-α- cryptoxanthin. Waxy corn grains showed significantly lower contents for total carotenoids ranging from 1.52 to 3.68 μg/g dry weight in three varieties, whereas sweet corn grains had higher carotenoid contents from 8.42 to 39.71 μg/g dry weight. The composition of the carotenoid pattern was somewhat different compared to literature data; this could be the results of genetic or environmental differences. Taking into account the usage of all-trans lutein and all-trans-zeaxanthin for the prevention of several pathologies, especially the age related macular degeneration, the immature sweet corn (e.g., “Jingtian 5” and “Jingtian 3”) might be interesting sources of a lutein and/or zeaxanthin extract that could add value to an underutilized biomass.