Distribution of tocopherols within the corn kernel

• Published in: Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society Vol. 47; no. 9; pp. 337 - 339
• Main Authors: Grams, G. W., Blessin, C. W., Inglett, G. E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer‐Verlag 01-09-1970
• Subjects: Methods; Vitamin E - analysis; Zea mays - analysis
• ISSN: 0003-021X; 1558-9331
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02638997

The concentration of tocols and tocotrienols in the germ, endosperm and pericarp of the corn kernel was determined after hand dissection of four dent corn hybrids—normal, early maturing, high oil and high lysine (opaque‐2). Among these hybrids the germ fraction contained 70–86% and the endosperm fraction contained 27–115 of the tocopherols extracted from the whole grain. The endosperm fractions contain all of the measurable tocotrienols occurring in whole corn. In the four hybrids analyzed, the germ fraction contained 94–96% of thea‐tocopherol extracted from the whole grain. Concentration ofa‐tocopherol was the highest in the germ fraction of the opaque‐2 hybrid.