Students make tea from corn intestines

Research by 5 students Nguyen Hoang Nhat Thang, Pham Thi Thanh Tam, Son Hoang Phu Qui, Doan Van Dinh Nguyen and Nguyen Tran Nhat Linh, Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences, Duy Tan University was carried out in about 6 months .

Pham Thi Thanh Tam, representative of the group, said that in Vietnam corn is the second most popular crop after rice. After processing, a large amount of corn intestine is not reused and is discharged into the environment. Some places use corn intestines as animal feed, mushroom growing medium… at low value.

Research shows that corn intestines contain many health-promoting medicinal substances such as anthocyanin, beta-sitosterol, saponin, tannin and other polyphenol compounds. Among them, the anthocyanin content in corn intestine is higher than that in grain. This is an antioxidant that brings many health benefits such as improving cardiovascular function and preventing diabetes. Beta-sitosterol has the effect of controlling cholesterol levels, reducing cancer cell activity, and increasing immunity. These medicinal substances in corn intestines were used by the research team to make tea bags.

To make tea, the corn intestines are cleaned, then dried at 70 degrees Celsius for three hours. The finished dried product is then ground and sieved in a size range of 0.5 – 1 mm, suitable for making tea bags. The ingredients are then mixed with a number of additives such as cloves, stevia, cinnamon, and roses at a rate of 90% corn cob, the rest are other flavors. The mixture of ingredients after mixing is packaged into filter bags.

According to Nguyen Hoang Nhat Thang, the process of mixing ingredients is considered important and takes the most time, with many different ratios to find a tea flavor that suits Vietnamese people’s taste. Thang said, if you add too much cinnamon to create a strong flavor, it will overwhelm other scents. If too much stevia is added, the tea will be harsh and the drinker will not feel the sweet aftertaste of the corn intestines.

Regarding color, the team must mix ingredients to create the characteristic yellow color of tea. “The team did dozens of experiments to get the most suitable color and flavor,” Thang said. After many experiments, the tea has the characteristic yellow color of corn intestines, and the tea water has no residue. The tea has a mild sweet taste and a harmonious aroma of the ingredients.

According to Le Thi Thanh Tam, in the tea and corn cob production process, the group has not evaluated the possibility of metal residues during the growing process affecting the soil, water source… The group plans to find out in the near future. Look for raw material areas that have certifications that meet clean and safe criteria.

Corn intestine tea is targeted at people aged 20 – 50 years old because this group is often at high risk of obesity due to unhealthy diet and lifestyle. Sweet, easy-to-drink tea helps reduce bad cholesterol in the blood.

Master Pham Thi Nga, Lecturer at the Faculty of Environment and Natural Sciences, Duy Tan University, assessed that using corn intestines to make tea has both good health effects and taking advantage of discarded agricultural by-products. Highly environmental protection idea. By taking advantage of cheap raw materials, the group’s tea bags have great potential for commercialization at affordable prices, suitable for most consumers. However, according to the Russian master, the team needs to carry out an assessment of the antioxidant capacity of substances in corn cobs. In addition, the group needs to research safe preservatives to increase the shelf life of tea bags to serve future business requirements.