Niacin in Maize *

Maize or Indian corn is, from the standpoint of total production, the second most important food plant in the world. No other crop is so widely distributed and only wheat occupies a larger acreage. Maize is noteworthy as a food because of its high content of carbohydrate, together with appreciable quantities of oil, protein, minerals, and other minor constituents. Food products made from field corn are regarded generally as being poor in B vitamins, and the incidence of pellagra and other deficiency diseases is notorious in regions where people live on a diet consisting chiefly of such items as corn-meal and grits, corn-starch, white flour, polished rice, sugar, molasses, and fat pork. In view of the widespread use of corn as a major article in the diet of large numbers of people, and because corn has been considered distinctly deficient in niacin, it seemed important to gather more information concerning the content of this vitamin in numerous strains of maize. The variations which we have found in yellow and white field corn, and in sweet corn and pop-corn appear to be of such potential significance that a brief report is presented here for those who may be interested. Thus far 233 strains and hybrids of mature corn have been assayed for niacin with a microbiological method employing Lactobacillus arabinosus as the test organism.5 Samples of corn were generously contributed for this work by the following: D. F. Jones and W. R. Singleton, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station; G. A. Lebedeff, Georgia Agricultural Experiment Station; F. L. Winter, Associated Seed Growers; R. R. St. John, Dekalb Hybrid Seed Company; W. J. Mumm, Crow's Hybrid Corn Company; J. R. Holbert, Funk Bros. Seed Company. The air-dried mature grain was ground in a small Wiley mill and weighed samples of the meal were hydrolyzed in IN H2SO4 at 1200 C. for 30 minutes. The solutions were adjusted to neutrality with NaOH and then made to standard volume. Appropriate aliquots were tested in the usual way so as to obtain satisfactory