Morphological variation in sensory, disparities in lipids and protein contents of corn grain germplasms grown in the Western Region of Cameroon

Maize is known as one of the most cultivated cereals worldwide, especially in Africa, where it is used to feed people and animals. In Cameroon, maize is highly produced in the Western Region, where a survey was carried out among maize producers and main markets, with forty maize grain accessions collected. These seeds were morphologically characterised using three seed descriptors. Dry matter, lipid and protein contents were determined using standard methods. Results showed that white-seeded (42.5%) and yellow-seeded (35.0%) accessions were the most dominant. Flint (40%) and Flint-Dent (37.5%) textures were the most prevalent. Floury-corn seeds (92.5%) dominated popcorn seeds (7.5%). Significant differences were observed among accessions for dry matter, lipids and protein content. Dry matter varies from 84.75% (A34) to 88.33% (A8). Lipid and protein contents vary respectively from 4.25 (A34) to 12.62% (A15) and from 0.32 (A28) to 13.92% (A21). Three accessions (A16, A17, and A21) had simultaneously high lipid and protein content. White-purple maize seeds had a high amount of lipids and proteins. Dry matter was more important in yellow seeds. Horney seed texture was found to have much higher lipid and lower protein concentration. Popcorn seed had high lipid content and low protein level compared to the Floury-corn seed with low lipid content and high protein level. The important variability found in these maize germplasms suggests a methodical preservation of local materials for the crop improvement agenda.