Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
7736760 
Journal Article 
A comparison of commercial enzymes for the aqueous enzymatic extraction of corn oil from corn germ 
Moreau, RA; Johnston, DB; Powell, MJ; Hicks, KB 
2004 
Yes 
Journal of the American Oil Chemists' Society
ISSN: 0003-021X
EISSN: 1558-9331 
Springer Verlag 
CHAMPAIGN 
81 
11 
1071-1075 
English 
WOS:000226190700012 
An aqueous enzymatic method was developed to extract corn oil from corn germ. The basic steps in the method involved "churning" the corn germ with various enzymes and buffer for 4 h at 50°C, and an additional 16 h at 65°C, followed by centrifugation and removal of the oil layer from the surface. No hexane or other organic solvents are used in this process. By using oven-dried corn germ samples (6 g) from a commercial corn wet mill, corn oil yields of about 80% were achieved using three different commercial cellulases. A fourfold scale-up of the method (to 24 g of germ) resulted in oil yields of about 90%. Nine other commercial enzymes were evaluated and resulted in significant but lower oil yields. In the absence of enzymes, oil yields of 27 to 37% were achieved. The chemical compositions of hexane-extracted vs. aqueous enzymatic-extracted corn oils were very similar. 
cellulase; corn; enzymatic; enzymes; extraction; maize; oil; protease; xylanase