ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the chemistry of maize components. In the broadest classification, there are two types of maize: coloured and uncoloured maize. The basic distinction between the two is in their content of phytochemical bioactive compounds. Maize or corn, like wheat and rice, belongs to the grass family Gramineae and is widely cultivated throughout the world. Corn has a high yield potential and is cultivated globally; the economic and nutritional value associated with corn is solely due to the high starch content in its seeds. The chemical constituents of maize can be divided into the following major groups: carbohydrate, protein, lipids, ash, and phytochemicals. The native starch must first be isolated from the maize grain and purified before usage. The problems associated with corn starch isolation are the high content of protein in its grain, especially the presence of disulphide bonds in some of the amino acids constituting the protein.
