Dietary Supplements and Corn
Several chemicals used to produce and package dietary supplements come from a surprising source—corn.
+
Citric acid
+
vitamin c
+
Manganese gluconate
+
Polyethylene
+
polylactic acid
Citric Acid
Citric acid occurs naturally in citrus fruits and gives them their sharp tang. Citric acid helps our bodies absorb beneficial minerals more efficiently. As a food additive, citric acid is a preservative.
Corn-derived citric acid is commonly produced by fungal fermentation. During the process, strains of consume glucose sourced from corn starch and produce citric acid as part of the glycolytic pathway. The resulting solution is purified by filtration, precipitation, and ion-exchange chromatography to obtain crystals of citric acid.
×
Vitamin C boosts tissue growth and repair. It helps to keep our bones, teeth, hair, immune system, and skin healthy. Synthetic vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, can be derived from corn in a multistep process. First, corn starch is hydrolyzed with enzymes or acids to produce glucose.
The glucose is converted into sorbitol through hydrogenation and then to sorbose via fermentation. Next, acetone is used to form acetal protecting groups on sorbose’s four hydroxyl groups, which allows oxidation at specific sites to form a keto-gluconic acid derivative.
The gluconic acid derivative is hydrolyzed to yield ascorbic acid.
Vitamin C
×
Manganese gluconate plays a role in bone and tissue formation as well as in blood clotting. It also helps to reduce inflammation and supports the metabolism of amino acids, cholesterol, and carbohydrates.
Corn-sourced glucose is fermented to produce gluconic acid, the base component of manganese gluconate. The gluconic acid is combined with a manganese compound, such as manganese carbonate, in an aqueous solution. The reaction produces manganese gluconate that can then be crystallized and added to dietary supplements.
Manganese gluconate
×
Bioplastics are viewed as a sustainable alternative to petrochemical-based plastics because they come from renewable sources such as corn.
The thermoplastic polyethylene derived from corn feedstock has the same physical properties as traditional polyethylene, made from petroleum products. Corn-based polyethylene is produced from ethanol, which is made via the fermentation of corn glucose. The bioderived ethanol is converted to the ethylene monomer via dehydration and polymerized into polyethylene.
Other bioplastics, such as polyethylene furanoate and polytrimethylene furanoate, can also be completely derived from corn.
Polyethylene
×
Polylactic acid is thermoplastic polyester produced from lactic acid. The lactic acid is generated from the fermentation of corn-sourced glucose and is generally converted to the dimer, lactide. The dimer then gets polymerized. Advances controlling the stereochemistry of polylactic acid have improved its properties for higher-temperature applications.
Corn-derived polylactic acid has great potential for use in packaging applications. The applications include consumer electronics, medical devices, and diapers. Polylactic acid is compostable under the right conditions.
Polylactic acid
×
Brought to you by
Aspergillus niger
To learn more about the cutting-edge applications of corn and the Consider Corn Challenge, visit ncga.com/newuses
Check out this corny quiz to learn about the surprising uses of corn in dietary supplements
Lactic acid
Lactide
Polylactic acid
Lactic acid
Polylactic acid
Lactide