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Relationship Between Popcorn Composition and Expansion Volume and Discrimination of Corn Types by Using Zein Properties

¹Laboratorio de Nutrición, Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria, EEA Pergamino-INTA, Argentina. ²Dept. Food Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802. ³Corresponding author. Phone: 814-865-5644. Fax: 814-863-6132. E-mail: kus2@psu.edu

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between the amount and type of lipids, starch composition and structure, and storage proteins on popcorn expansion and to evaluate whether popcorns could be discriminated from other types of corn based on the protein elution parameters. Seven commercial Argentinean popcorn samples were used in the study and significant differences were observed in the popping volume of these popcorns. A significant negative correlation was observed between oleic acid and popping volume and a positive correlation was observed between linoleic acid and popping volume. Popcorn starch properties were significantly different from normal corn but no particular measured attribute of starch correlated with popping volume. α-Zein proteins and glutelins significantly correlated with popcorn expansion volume with R² = 0.963 and 0.744, respectively. The elution patterns of corn proteins could also be used to discriminate between different types of corn including popcorn, dent, and flint corns.