Effect of hot-air drying on the structure, physicochemical properties, and digestibility of corn germ protein from two cultivars cultivated in East China.

In recent times, the use of corn germ protein (CGP) has become more widespread. However, hot-air drying does not consider its effect and variability on the CGP properties. This study involved drying two types of corn grains from two different cultivars (Denghai-685 and Xianyu-335) cultivated in East China. The corn grains with different initial moisture content (20, 25, and 30%) were dried using hot-air at various temperatures (60, 90, and 120 °C). The CGP was separated and analyzed its properties and digestibility. Compared to naturally dried samples, hot-air dried CGPs exhibited poor emulsifying and foaming properties. The average particle size, sulfhydryl group content, and surface hydrophobicity increased with the rise in drying temperature. As well as the changes in the secondary, tertiary structures and gastric and intestinal digestibility of CGPs. The results showed that while both cultivars responded similarly to varying drying conditions, there were observable differences in the degree of change in surface hydrophobicity, emulsifying stability, and digestibility. These findings suggest cultivar-based variations in CGP properties that may influence their food processing applications.