Bioactive compounds in colored maize (Zea mays L.) tortillas fortified with Macrocystis pyrifera

• Seaweeds possess valuable compounds that can add nutritional value to food products • The seaweed Macrocystis pyrifera was added to yellow, blue, and red corn tortillas • Differences in phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and tocopherols were analyzed • Phenolic compounds decreased with higher concentration of seaweed • Fucoxanthin and total carotenoids increased, while tocopherols decreased with more seaweed The seaweed Macrocystis pyrifera , mainly used as abalone feed, contains important phytonutrients that may be used to improve the nutritional profile of other food products, like tortillas. Maize tortillas , a staple food in some Latin American countries, contain bioactive compounds, including phenolics, carotenoids, and tocopherols, in concentrations that strongly depend on maize variety. The objective of this study was to identify the differences in the content of phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and tocopherols in tortillas made with yellow, blue, or red maize and supplemented with different concentrations of Macrocystis pyrifera. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to analyze these phytochemicals. Fifteen phenolic compounds, nine carotenoids, and tocopherols were quantified above the threshold (0.005 µg/ml). The most abundant phenolic compound was p -hydroxybenzoic acid (4-hydroxybenzoic acid), at 3.84 ± 0.01 µg/g of sample, and was found in blue maize tortillas containing 9 % seaweed. Fucoxanthin was the most abundant carotenoid (408.38 ± 9.55 µg/g) found in red maize tortilla with 9 % seaweed. These compounds, as well as phloroglucinol and violaxanthin, increased with higher concentrations of added seaweed. γ-tocopherol (5.86 ± 0.21 µg/g) was the most abundant tocopherol; this compound, as well as other maize-derived compounds, like ferulic acid, decreased with the addition of the seaweed. Incorporating the seaweed Macroystis pyrifera into yellow, blue, and red maize tortillas led to significant differences in the carotenoid and phenolic compound content.