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 °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**).