Development of non-conventional hybrids responds to the demand for the Elotes Occidentales land-race for production of pozole. The effect of growing cycle (2019, 2020, and 2021) on physical characteristics, flowered grain quality, and phytochemical content of two non-conventional hybrids of pozolero maize, as well as the effect of the presence or absence of pedicel, type of pollination (open and controlled, 2019), and parents (female and male, 2020) on flowered grain quality and content of phytochemical compounds, were evaluated. Size, hardness, color, total phenols, and anthocyanins in unprocessed grain were determined. Yield, volume, and puncture force were measured in flowered grain. Results were analyzed with a factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design. There were significant differences (p ≤ 0.05) in most of the variables studied by effect of crop cycle and hybrid. Non-conventional hybrids had large grains (40 g 100 grains⁻¹), soft endosperm (flotation index > 60), pink-purple color, and phenol and anthocyanin contents similar to those reported for the Elotes Occidentales land-race. The presence or absence of the pedicel did not affect flowered grain quality. Controlled pollination favored anthocyanin synthesis. The female parent determined the anthocyanin content of non-conventional hybrids. Thermal processing reduced anthocyanins by 60%; however, they leached into the flowering broth, so that the pozole made from non-conventional hybrids can have improved nutraceutical value, relative to that of pozole made with Cacahuacintle land-race.

Lime is an essential component of the nixtamalization process and influences several aspects of tortilla quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of six commercial limes of different purities on the quality of tortillas made from white and blue corn. The content of Ca(OH)2 and heavy metals in the limes, color, pH and calcium content in the tortillas, acceptability by attributes and shelf life were determined. Limes with lower levels of Ca(OH)2 fell below the standard specifications and exceeded the limits for heavy metals such as arsenic (6.6 and 7.3 mg kg-1) and lead (2.4 mg kg-1). Tortillas made with the highest purity lime had a higher pH (white > 8.1, blue > 7.3), saturation index (white > 21.6, blue > 5.7), calcium content (white > 200, blue > 176 mg 100 g-1) and lower luminosity. Moreover, these limes imparted better organoleptic characteristics to the tortillas, which led to a higher preference among the panelists. The purity of the lime is a key factor in improving the quality and safety of the tortilla, so countries that are beginning to adopt the nixtamalization process using lime should pay particular attention to the purity of the lime used in their processes, as it modifies the characteristics of the final product. In addition, manufacturers of lime for food use must guarantee high purity in order to obtain a safe, high quality food product.

The importance of purple corn (Zea mays L.) varieties has increased due to their high anthocyanin contents both in the kernels and the degrained cob. The aim of this work was to separate anthocyanins from degrained purple-corn cobs to assess their pigmentation potential in food matrices. Two populations of purple corn were used, namely, Negro de Ixtenco (NIX) and Negro de Ixtenco x Negro de Perú (PIX), collected in Juchitepec, Mexico. Flours of degrained cob were obtained with average moisture, crude protein, ash, lipid, crude fiber, and carbohydrate contents of 7.06, 3.70, 4.48, 0.76, 37.73, and 46.27%, respectively. Aqueous biphasic systems composed of a mixture of 7.88% trisodium citrate, 2.63% citric acid, and 50.88% ethanol were applied at an atmospheric pressure of 77,993.0 Pa and 25 °C, aided by ultrasound and orbital agitation. Extracts with anthocyanin concentrations of 33.01 and 39.55 mg per gram of degrained corn cob were obtained from NIX and PIX, respectively. Pigmentation kinetics were assessed in yogurt and corn dough, which had a logarithmic tendency towards hue angles of 2.25 and 333.05°, respectively. A 60% pigmentation relative to the limit was suggested, which required 0.45 and 11.65% of the extract in yogurt and corn dough, respectively. Pigmentation stability was verified in refrigerated yogurt and in cooked corn dough.

Development of non-conventional hybrids (NCHs) responds to the demand for the Elotes Occidentales 'EO' race for production of pozole. The effect of: crop cycle (2019, 2020 and 2021) on physical characteristics, flowered grain quality and phytochemical content of two HNC (Pz1 and Pz2) of pozolero maize, as well as the effect of the presence or absence of pedicel, type of pollination (open and controlled, 2019), and progenitor lines (female and male, 2020) on flowered grain quality and content of phytochemical compounds were evaluated. Size, hardness, color, total phenols and anthocyanins in unprocessed grain were determined, and yield, volume and puncture strength in flowered grain. Results were analyzed with a factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design. There were significant differences (p≤0.05) in most of the variables studied by effect of crop cycle and genotype. NCHs had large grains (40 g 100 grains-1), soft endosperm (IF> 60), pink-purple color, and phenol and anthocyanin contents similar to those reported for the 'EO' race. The presence or absence of the pedicel did not affect flowered grain quality. Controlled pollination favored anthocyanin synthesis. The anthocyanin content of NCHs was determined by the female line. Thermal processing reduced anthocyanins by 60%; however, they leached into the flowering broth, so that the pozole made from NCHs improves the nutraceutical value of the pozole, relative to that of pozole made with Cacahuacintle maize.