Genetics, Management, and Processing Approaches to Mitigate Targets for Acrylamide Formation in Maize (Zea mays L.) During Chip Production

Abstract

Maize is used for multiple products ranging from feed to fuel and food. In the United States, the focus on maize grain for human consumption and processing for food products is often neglected compared to the uses for animal feed, ethanol production, and the extraction of starch. One of the important focuses of producers of maize-based food products is the mitigation of acrylamide formation. Acrylamide is a carcinogenic compound that is primarily found in food products high in reducing sugars and protein content that are processed at high temperatures through the Maillard reaction. Breeding efforts and agronomic practices have been implemented in other plant species to reduce acrylamide in downstream products. The goals of this dissertation were to investigate mitigation targets of acrylamide formation in the areas of genetics, management, and processing in maize. The first chapter of this work provides a literature review of maize kernel anatomy, kernel quality traits, acrylamide formation, and current mitigation targets in maize and other plant species. The second chapter investigates and gives insights into the genetic control of compositional traits in maize kernels that are important for product quality and can contribute to acrylamide formation utilizing a diversity panel to conduct genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The third chapter explores the role of the management practices of storage and drying of maize kernels in two commercial food-grade hybrids and the effect on acrylamide precursors. The final chapter looks at how compositional precursors of acrylamide change throughout cooking (nixtamalization) in a phenotypically diverse set of inbred lines. Together these chapters provide valuable insights for acrylamide mitigation in maize-based food products to important stakeholders along the product pipeline including plant breeders, growers and food processors.