Nixtamalization products from

We have observed that the same mechanical properties of doughs prepared from lime or calcium hydroxide-treated corn were achieved when com was treated with magnesium hydroxide. It seems reasonable to consider that the elaboration of products from nixtamalized corn is based mostly on the physical-chemical changes occurring in the starch component of the com grain. This is substantiated further by the fact that other starchy foods can be lime treated to yield products similar to those obtained from com. 

Calcium Content of Starch Isolated from Lime-Treated Corn. Starch is the major component of the corn grain and derived products (see Table VII). To explore in more detail the distribution of calcium after the nixtamalization process, calcium was measured in starch isolated from untreated and lime-treated com. These analyses (see Table VIII) indicated that calcium was fixed or bound in some way to the starch. There was approximately 2.9 times more calcium in starches isolated from lime-treated corns than in starches isolated from untreated grains. Figure 7 shows micrographs of isolated starches. 

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