Quality protein maize: nutritional and bioactive composition, technological attributes and potential food applications

The present review aimed to explain the composition, nutritional importance, technological functionality, morphology, rheological and bioactive profile of quality protein maize (QPM). This review further highlights the potentiality of QPM for the development of versatile value-added products, which are advantageous for consumers, researchers and industries related to this area. Literature searches were conducted using PubMed, Research gate and Google scholar. Full-text screening of 112 articles was carried out, resulting in a final sample of 90 articles of which the most reliable and recent articles were thoroughly reviewed. Quality protein maize contains the opaque-2 gene that limits the zein synthesis meanwhile promoting the synthesis of other non-zein proteins that are rich in tryptophan and lysine. QPM has high antioxidative properties that prevent cardiovascular and degenerative disorders. Regular intake of QPM can also reduce the symptoms of protein-energy malnutrition. Thus, QPM has an excellent potential to be utilised as an ingredient or enrichment source in several food categories.