Non-isothermal autohydrolysis of nixtamalized maize pericarp: Production of nutraceutical extracts

- Nixtamalized maize pericarp was subjected to thermal treatments.
- Oligosaccharides and antioxidant by autohydrolysis extraction were optimized.
- Feruloylated AXOS showed potential as multifunctional nutraceuticals.

Nixtamalized maize pericarp (NMP) was subjected to isothermal processing in aqueous media, and the amount and composition of the solid and liquid phases were determined. The major reaction products were arabinoxylo-oligosaccharides (AXOS). The maximum release of AXOS (39.6 g/100 g NMP) was achieved operating at 207 °C. Ferulolyl substituents of AXOS accounted for 77% of the total ferulic acid contained in the feedstock. Autohydrolysis liquors were extracted with ethyl acetate, and the phenolic compounds present in the organic phase were identified and quantified. The antioxidant activity of extracts (measured by reducing power and radical scavenging activity) compared favorably with the ones of commercial antioxidants. On the basis of the experimental results, it can be concluded that the obtained feruloylated AXOS can be used as food ingredients with potential to cause health benefits (including prebiotic effects and prevention of harmful oxidation reactions).