938 Emir. J. Food Agric ● Vol 34 ● Issue 11 ● 2022 938 Emir. J. Food Agric ● Vol 34 ● Issue 11 ● 2022 Chemical analysis of blue corn base malt and the effect of malting and roasting of blue corn malts on color and antioxidant compounds associated with antioxidant capacity Alex María Daniela Flores-Calderón a , Miguel Ángel Hernández-Carapia a , Héctor Luna b , Héctor Bernardo Escalona-Buendía c and José Ramón Verde-Calvo a * a Enology and Fermented Foods Laboratory, Biotechnology Department, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Iztapalapa, Av. San Rafael Atlixco No. 186, 09340, Mexico City, Mexico, b Applied Biocatalysis Laboratory, Biological Systems Department, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Xochimilco, Calzada del Hueso 1100, 04960, Mexico City, Mexico, c Sensory Analysis Laboratory, Biotechnology Department, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Iztapalapa, Av. San Rafael Atlixco No. 186, 09340, Mexico City, Mexico Correspondence to: José Ramón Verde-Calvo, Enology and Fermented Foods Laboratory, Biotecnology Department, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana - Iztapalapa, Av. San Rafael Atlixco No. 186, 09340, Mexico City, Mexico. E-mail: jrvc@xanum.uam.mx Received: 21 January 2022; Accepted: 13 October 2022 INTRODUCTION Some beers are exclusively made with pilsner malt, but others owe their typical flavor and characteristic color to the addition of a small amount of roasted or specialty malts (Yahya et al., 2014; Gruber, 2001). During its production, the thermal processes (drying and roasting) have the greatest impact on the color, flavor and antioxidants of malt (Yahya et al., 2014, Coghe et al., 2006). Depending on the time and temperature applied in the thermal processes, the malt color can vary, and the molecules responsible for the different colors are chromophores of different molecular weights, products of Maillard reactions (Coghe et al., 2006). In relation to the study of compounds and antioxidant activity in barley malts, the dominant phenolic was ferulic acid in ten barley varieties and their corresponding malts (Dvořáková et al., 2008), the differences between the kilning regimens used in green malt suggest that further modification of the regimens could lead to greater release of bound phenolics with consequent beneficial effects on flavor stability in beer and, more generally, on human The objectives of this research were to carry out a chemical analysis of the base malts, to evaluate the effect of malting and roasting on both color and compounds associated with the antioxidant capacity (anthocyanins, phenolic compounds, melanoidins), and the capacity itself by ABTS and DPPH assays in base malt and caramel malt of blue corn. In order to provide styles of beers with different sensory characteristics as well as health benefits for the consumer, and since malt is the heart of beer, different cereals and pseudo-cereals have been malted. In addition to this, with the intention of taking advantage of the phenolic compounds present in the blue corn grain, and of developing color compounds as well as antioxidant activity through roasting, both blue corn base and caramel malts were developed. Results showed that the protein content was within the specified range for barley malt and, despite the malting not having a significant effect on the color parameters, a decrease in the anthocyanin content was observed. On the contrary, an increase in the content of phenolic acids as well as in the antioxidant capacity by DPPH assay in the base malt with respect to the grain was noticed. Additionally, the color of caramel malts increased in luminosity and chroma, and decreased in tone due to roasting. Likewise, the concentrations of anthocyanins and phenolic compounds depended on the roasting conditions. Moreover, the higher the roasting temperature was, the higher the concentrations of melanoidins were. Finally, malts that had a greater amount of phenolic compounds showed greater antioxidant capacity by ABTS assay, while malts that had a higher melanoidins content showed a greater antioxidant response by DPPH assay. In accordance with the results, it was concluded that the combined use of base and caramel malts to produce corn beer musts could provide significant amounts of compounds that will impact its color and antioxidant capacity, thereby favoring the chemical stability of the product. Keywords: Antioxidant capacity, Base malt; Blue corn; Caramel malt; Phenolic compounds ABSTRACT Emirates Journal of Food and Agriculture. 2022. 34(11): 938-948 doi: 10.9755/ejfa.2022.v34.i11.2953 http://www.ejfa.me/ RESEARCH ARTICLE