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Effect of Various Acids and Sulfites in Steep Solution on Yields and Composition of Corn Fiber and Corn Fiber Oil

¹Visiting assistant professor, former research specialist, and professor, respectively, Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801. Mention of brand or firm names does not constitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the University of Illinois above others of a similar nature not mentioned. ²Corresponding author. Phone: 215-233-6714. Fax: 215-233-6406. E-mail: vsingh@arserrc.gov ³Lead scientist and research leader, respectively, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Eastern Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, 600 E. Mermaid Lane, Wyndmoor, PA 19038.

The addition of six acids (organic and inorganic) and four sulfite compounds (including gaseous SO₂) during the conventional corn wet-milling steeping process of two yellow dent corn hybrids were evaluated for the effect on corn fiber yield, corn fiber oil yield, and the composition of three phytosterol compounds (ferulate phytosterol esters [FPE], free phytosterols [St], and phytosterol fatty acyl esters [St:E]) in the corn fiber oil. No significant effect of different sulfite compounds and acids were observed on corn fiber yields. However, a significant effect was observed on corn fiber oil yield and the composition of corn fiber oil for phytosterol compounds. Three of the sulfite compounds (including gaseous SO₂) caused very little effect on the levels of phytosterol compounds compared with the control sample (corn steeped with sodium metabisulfite and lactic acid). However, for one hybrid, ammonium sulfite gave a significantly higher yield of FPE and St:E and had no effect on the yield of St. For the other hybrid, it gave a significantly higher yield of FPE and had no effect on the yield of St and St:E compared with the control sample. This indicates that the effect of these sulfite compounds on yields of these phytosterol compounds in corn fiber oil is probably hybrid-dependent. No significant effect of acids was observed on corn fiber yields, but significant effects were observed on corn fiber oil yields and yields of phytosterol compounds in the corn fiber oil. The effect also seems to be hybrid-dependent because different acids affected the two hybrids differently. Overall, it seems that weak acids have a positive effect on increasing the individual phytosterol compounds in the corn fiber. When comparing the effect of experimental acids and sulfites on the two hybrids, acids have a more positive effect than sulfites in increasing the yield of phytosterol compounds in corn fiber oil.