Abstract
Abstract The present study assessed the physical, chemical, functional, and microbiological properties of cocoyam (Xanthosoma spp.) corm flour made from the Nazareno cultivar. The flour was initially submitted to a water-soaking process in order to reduce its high oxalate content. The soaked flour showed a high dietary fiber content (15.4% insoluble and 2.8% soluble fiber), and can be considered essentially an energy-rich food given its high starch content (60.5%), of which 85.04% was analyzed as amylopectin; it also showed a high potassium content (19.09 mg/g). The anti-nutritional component analysis showed low levels of oxalate (5.55 mg/g), saponins (0.10%) and tannins (0.07%), while phytates were not detected. The flour had a high water and oil absorption capacity (9 - 11 g/g at 90 and 100 °C; 1.2 g/g) and it gelatinized at between 81.81 - 89.58 °C. It was also microbiologically stable after storage for 9 months at room temperature. Development of a multipurpose flour from cocoyam corm could provide a value-added option for the local food industry.
Highlights
Cocoyam (Xanthosoma spp.), the preferred root crop in Puerto Rico (Cortés & Gayol, 2009), has experienced declining production in recent years (United States Department of Agriculture, 2012)
The present study proposes the elaboration of cocoyam corm-based multi-purpose flour from the Nazareno cultivar, and demonstrates its potential usefulness in the food industry through its characterization
A slight but significant difference was found between the two sections of cocoyam corm in bulk density, being lower in the middle than the apical section (0.73 vs. 0.75 g/mL)
Summary
Cocoyam (Xanthosoma spp.), the preferred root crop in Puerto Rico (Cortés & Gayol, 2009), has experienced declining production in recent years (United States Department of Agriculture, 2012). Annual production in 2012 was about 15,993 qq, which only supplied approximately 19 % of local consumption (Cortés & Gayol, 2009). This decline is mainly attributed to common diseases that affect this crop, the most detrimental being known as “mal seco” due to its agricultural and economical repercussion (Estación Experimental Agrícola, 1997). There are no public statistics currently available on the use of corms from the Nazareno cultivar in Puerto Rico, which suggests that this material is being wasted. In some South Pacific and African countries, cocoyam corm is eaten as puree, roasted or boiled, either alone or combined with other ingredients, or added in soups as a thickening agent (Owusu-Darko et al, 2014)
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