ABSTRACT
This study, initiated in Côte d'Ivoire, aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the triple bagging system associated or not with biopesticides on the conservation of biochemical parameters, in particular its nutritional potential according to a central composite design (CCD). It was carried in Côte d'Ivoire at Laboratory of Biochemistry and Food Science from March 2016 to September 2017. Shelf life, biopesticides rate and interactions between shelf life and biopesticides had a significant influence on the biochemical characteristics of maize. The polypropylene bag (control) had the highest values after eighteen (18) months of moisture storage (9.02% to 16.99%) and showed very high fibre losses (P<0.001) (5.78% to 4.28%), total sugars (2.62% to 1.30%), reducing sugars (0.47% to 0.27%), starch (75.20% to 46.10%), fat (5.51% to 3.33%), protein (8.60% to 6.87%), total carbohydrate (75.20% to 71.51%), ash (1.68% to 1.30%) and energy value (384.78% to 343.48%). Concerning the triple bagging system without biopesticides, the variation is similar to the treatments that received the biopesticides up to 9.5 months of storage before presenting values almost similar to the control bag after the 18 months of storage. While triple bagging systems with the presence of biopesticides after 18 months of storage show slight variations in moisture (9.02% to 12.47%), fibre (5.78% to 5.56%), total sugars (2.62% to 1,88%), reducing sugars (0.47% to 0.37%), starch (75.20% to 60.03%), fat (5.51% to 5.00%), protein (8.60% to 7.84%), total carbohydrates (75.20% to 72.69%), ash (1.68% to 1.50%) and energy value (384.78% to 368.93%). The results of these tests show that maize grains stored in the presence of biopesticides best retain their biochemical characteristics. Also, the results indicate that the rate of 1.01% biopesticides could be recommended for maintaining all biochemical parameters up to 18 months of storage.