Feasibility of Using Corncob as the Substrate for Natural Vinegar Fermentation with Physicochemical Changes during the Acetification Process

Abstract

Vinegar made from corncob, an agricultural waste product of corn, is of interest in terms of its potential as a new functional condiment with physiological characteristics derived from polyphenols. The advent of food out of waste using lignocellulosic substrates is a modern biotechnological approach to enhance sustainability. The fermentation parameters for production of fermented vinegar from corncobs were optimized. The ethanolic fermentation was completed by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in 52 hours at 36 ℃ producing 3.16% (v/v) ethanol. The acetic acid fermentation was carried out by Acetobacter aceti in 48 hours at 34 ℃ for producing vinegar having 3.91% (w/v) acetic acid. Total phenolic compound of corncob wine and vinegar was reported as 49 mg/100ml and 43 mg/100ml respectively. Total flavonoid content was determined to be about 12 mg/100ml of corncob wine and 9 mg/100ml of corncob vinegar. Corncob wine and vinegar showed highest antioxidant activity with 39% and 37.94% respectively. The structural change during the two step fermentation was also confirmed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The Hunter color value of the corn cob vinegar was also evaluated. With the current trend of shifting to natural products, corncob vinegar with better health benefits and economic significance, certainly scores high above its synthetic counterpart.