Microstructural changes in the maize kernel pericarp during cooking stage in nixtamalization process

The microstructural changes in the maize pericarp during the critical lime-cooking step of a traditional nixtamalization process are reported. Scanning Electron Microscopy at low vacuum (SEM-LV) images and Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS) were used to study the evolution of the pericarp transformation during lime-cooking and the CaCO3 formation on the pericarp. Moisture content in cooked maize kernels and calcium content in the pericarp were used as physicochemical criteria in order to establish the end of the cooking step. For the first time, the cooking step was analyzed in situ by using a differential photoacoustic cell (DPC), in order to associate photoacoustic amplitude signals of nixtamalized pericarp with its structural modifications. X-ray diffraction patterns of nixtamalized pericarp showed an increase in the peak intensity of the crystalline fraction compared with the native pericarp. These results were supported by SEM images and amplitude signals obtained through the use of the photoacoustic technique.