The Comparative Studies of the Phytochemical and Physico-Chemical Analyses of Aqueous and Methanol Extracts of Yellow and White Maize (Zea Mays) for Industrial Use

Maize (Zea mays L.) is an important annual cereal crop belonging to the family Poaceae, it is an ancient Greek word which means ‘’Sustaining life’’. and Mays is a word from Taino language meaning “life giver”. Maize was the main staple food of people worldwide for many centuries. This study analyzed the phyto-chemicals (both quantitative and qualitative) and physico-chemical parameters present in aqueous and methanolic extract of yellow and white maize. The results for phytochemicals (quantitative) analysis in distilled water extract of yellow and white maize showed that yellow maize had highest percentage value of alkaloid(0.236 ± 0.002%) and white maize had (0.191 ± 0.002%), while in Methanolic extract, yellow maize also had highest percentage of alkaloid (0.341 ± 0.002%) and (0.312 ± 0.001%) for white maize. The result of physico-chemical properties of distilled water extract showed that yellow maize extract had highest value of total solid (1.440 ± 0.010%) and white maize (3.265 ± 0.015). In methanolic extract, yellow maize extract had highest value of total solid (4.330 ± 0.010) while the white maize was (3.265 ± 0.015). In conclusion, almost all the parameters of phytochemicals and physico-chemical analysis done in yellow maize extract are higher than that of white maize in distilled water and methanolic extract, yellow maize contain carotenoids(yellow colour) while white maize does not contain carotenoids, therefore yellow maize is more nutritious and more presentable (colour) than white maize.