Flours with different physicochemical and functional properties were obtained from malted corn. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to study the effects of malting time (1,3, 5 days), malting temperature (20, 25, 30º C) and gibberelic acid concentration (0.0; 0.5; 1.0 %) on these properties. The chemical composition and paste viscosity of flours were significantly affected by malting time and temperature, while water solubility index (WSI) and water absorption index (WAI) varied only with malting time. Gibberelic acid did not significantly influenced any of the studied properties. Germination at 20-25ºC for 3 days was recomended to obtain corn flour with high WAI, low viscosity and medium WSI, without excessive loss of proteins.
malting; corn flour; functional properties
