The first article is from the web link given below. It states that the oil comes from the "germ" portion of the seed. The second article says that the antifungal compounds of interest come from the "endosperm (including aleurone layer) and embryo tissues". I looked up the meaning of the word "germ" and found that it means embryo; so unless the compounds are refined out, the oil may contain them.
-------------------------------------------------- "Technical Abstract: Corn kernels contain about 4% oil, and almost all of this oil is in the "germ" portion of the kernel. Because corn kernels contain about 60-70% starch, a process called "wet milling" was developed to economically obtain this cornstarch. One of several byproducts of wet milling is the corn germ fraction (which contains 40-50% oil). Most corn oil is obtained by crushing and extracting wet milled corn germ, and like "wheat germ oil," corn oil could more accurately be called "corn germ oil." The US produces 57% of the world's supply of corn oil. Corn oil's desirable properties include: its mild nutty flavor, its high levels of unsaturated fatty acids, its low levels of saturated fatty acids, its very low levels of linolenic acid, its high levels of unsaponifiables (including phytosterols and tocopherols), and its stability during frying. Although consumer focus has been shifting towards "high- monounsaturate"-oils (olive, canola, and NuSun sunflower oils), corn oil is still the second most popular vegetable oil in the US (soybean oil is the most popular), and the food industry currently relies on corn oil and corn oil margarine products."
------------------------------------------------- Title: Distribution of antifungal proteins in maize kernel tissues using immunochemistry.
Authors: Guo, B. Z.; Cleveland, T. E.; Brown, R. L.; Widstrom, N. W.; Lynch, R. E.; Russin, J. S.
Authors affiliation: Insect Biology and Population Management Research Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Tifton, GA, USA.
Published in: Journal of Food Protection, volumn 62, pages 295-200, (1999).
Abstract: "A study examd. the distribution of two antifungal proteins, ribosome-inactivating protein (RIP) and zeamatin, in maize kernel tissues. Proteins were extd. from endosperm (including aleurone layer) and embryo tissues of imbibed maize kernels. Western blot analyses revealed that RIP-like protein was present at higher levels in endosperm than in embryo tissues, whereas zeamatin-like protein was more concd. in embryo tissues than in endosperm tissues. However, there were three protein bands in the endosperm and two bands in the embryo that reacted to anti-RIP antibody in Western blot analyses. Tissue prints were conducted to localize the antifungal proteins. Imbibed kernels were cut longitudinally and transversely and blotted onto nitrocellulose membranes. Using antibodies against maize RIP and zeamatin, RIP was found primarily in the aleurone layer of the endosperm and glandular layer of scutellum, whereas zeamatin was located mainly in the kernel embryo. These results provide insight into the potential functions of these antifungal proteins, esp. since the presence of RIP and zeamatin within maize kernels uniquely protects kernels from pathogens." |
