Kernel properties related to carotenoid release during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion in commercial dent maize hybrids

The objective of study was to investigate the relationships between maize kernel properties and carotenoid release during simulated gastrointestinal digestion of 103 hybrids of dent type. Commercial maize hybrids significantly differed in kernel hardness, chemical composition and carotenoid profile. Across all hybrids, the amount of digestible individual carotenoids increased as follows: beta-carotene < alpha-cryptoxanthin < beta-cryptoxanthin < lutein < zeaxanthin. The amount of digested carotenoids correlated negatively with amylose content and amylose-to-amylopectin ratio, while it correlated positively with the content of neutral detergent fibres and amylopectin as well as the Stenvert index. However, the content of endosperm lipids could not be related to carotenoid digestibility. Findings clearly indicate that the carotenoid release from the kernel during digestion is related to specific physical and chemical properties, leading to a better understanding of the effects of kernel matrix structure on carotenoid digestibility in dent-type maize hybrids.