Interrelationships among some Quality Characteristics in Dent Corn (Zea mays L.)

The interrelationships among the grain protein, oil, fatty acids, starch, Na, K, Fe concentrations and chemical grain characteristics were determined by correlation analyses in thirty-five commercial dent corn hybrids. An increase in oil content of the corn is accompanied by a decrease in starch content and by an increase in caproic acid content. The correlation coefficients involving protein content of corn hybrids with oil content (r = 0.066) and with saturated fatty acid (SFA) (r = -0.247*) evidence that protein content is more related to fatty acid distribution than the oil quantity. Linear relationships between refractive index (RI) (nD40 degrees C) and saturated fatty acid (r = 0.369**) and between refractive index and oleic acid (r = 0.364**), and between iodine number (IN) and unsaturated fatty acid (UFA) were determined. In addition, oleic acid is strongly correlated with linoleic (r = -0.769**) and linolenic acids (r = -0.335**).