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HISTOLOGICAL AND HISTOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF SWEET CORN (Zea mays L.) PERICARP AS INFLUENCED BY MATURITY AND PROCESSING
Author(s) -
KHALIL TANNOUS,
KRAMER AMIHUD
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2621.1971.tb03347.x
Subject(s) - penetration (warfare) , zea mays , cellulose , microprobe , biology , botany , cell wall , horticulture , chemistry , agronomy , mineralogy , biochemistry , mathematics , operations research
SUMMARY –Five commercial hybrids of sweet corn were planted at the University of Maryland Plant Research Farm. Starting 20 days after silking, three successive harvests were made at 3‐day intervals. Puncture tests were performed along with histological and histochemical studies on fresh and frozen kernels to determine the relationship of pericarp structure to tenderness of kernels. Pericarp is formed of one‐cell epicarp layer over several layers of pitted mesocarp cells, one or two layers of cross cells and one or more layers of tube cells adjacent to the seed coat. Although all these layers act concomitantly in resisting microprobe penetration, it is assumed that the epicarp layer is more resistant to the penetration of the microprobe than any other structure in the pericarp, since the cells of the epicarp have the thickest cell walls. Early harvests showed relatively thick pericarp with well‐defined cellular structure. Later harvests were characterized by an increasingly narrower but tougher pericarp. Microprobe time‐force recordings of the frozen kernels were invariably wider than those of the fresh kernels. Microscopic histochemical examinations of the pericarp revealed the absence of lignins and the presence of cellulose and hemicelluloses.